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COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT 





























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A POLITICAL PRIMER 

OF 

NEW YORK CITY AND STATE 

The City under the Revised Charter of igo2 


BY 








ADELE M^FIELDE 

M 


The riches of the Commonwealth 

Are free, strong minds and hearts of health; 

And more to her than gold or grain 

The cunning hand and cultured brain.” 

Whittibr 


NEW YORK 

THE LEAGUE FOR POLITICAL EDUCATION 
2 3 WEST 44TH STREET 


1902 

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Copyright 1897 

BY THE MACMILLAN COMPANY 


Copyright 1902 

BY THE LEAGUE FOR POLITICAL EDUCATION 


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PREFACE 


Changes wrought by the Charter Revision Com¬ 
mission and the State Legislature of 1901 in the 
charter of the Greater City of New York have 
made it necessary to revise the Political Primer 
published for the author by the Macmillan Com¬ 
pany in 1897, setting forth methods of adminis¬ 
tering the municipal government from January 
1st, 1898, to January 1st, 1902. On the latter 
date the city legislature, which had for four years 
been composed of two houses, was displaced by a 
single body, the Board of Aldermen; the term of 
the Mayor and of the Comptroller was changed 
from four to two years; the Mayor’s power of re¬ 
moving certain public officials appointed by a 
Mayor was extended from six months to his entire 
term; the Board of Public Improvements, the De¬ 
partments of Sewers, of Highways, of Buildings, 
and of Public Buildings, Lighting and Supplies 
were abolished and a Tenement-House Department 
was created; the Bureau of Elections was removed 
from the Police Department and became a separate 
body; the powers and duties of the Presidents of 
Boroughs as well as of the Local Boards of Im¬ 
provement were greatly increased; the borough 
School Boards were abolished; the tenure of office 


for employees of the city was altered, and most of 
the working force became subject to civil-service 
law. 

The author is indebted, for valuable suggestions 
or information, to Prof. Frank J. Goodnow, of the 
Charter Revision Commission, to George Haven 
Putnam, Esq., to Robert Erskine Ely, Esq., to 
Henry Welsh, deputy clerk of the Court of General 
Sessions, and to A. C. Allen, Chief Clerk of the 
Board of Elections. By the courtesy of Wm. C. 
Hunt, Chief Statistician of Population in the Cen¬ 
sus Office at Washington, the author has been able 
to insert results of the latest enumeration of the 
people of New York City, and these may be found 
on page 104. A. M. F. 

New York, January, 1902. 


CONTENTS AND INDEX 

PAGE 

Aldermanic Districts . 28 

Aldermen of New York City.26, 27, 117 

Appellate Division .60, 64, 112 

Area of City.23, 26 

Area of Counties. 102 

Area of State.1, 102 

Area of United States. 100 

Assembly . 11 

Assemblymen . 12 

Assembly Districts . 12 

Assessments .53, 108 

Assessors .8, 21 

Attorney-General . 15 

Ballot Clerks . 93 

Blanket Ballot . 94 

Board of Aldermen.26, 27, 56, 117 

Board of Elections.85, 92, 97, 108 

Board of Estimate and Apportionment. 54 

Borough of the Bronx. 24 

Borough of Brooklyn... 25 






















vi 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 

Borough of Manhattan.25, 105 

Borough of Queens. 25 

Borough of Richmond. 26 

Borough Presidents.30, 105 

Bridges. 43 

Canvassers . 98 

Charities, Department of.44, 107 

Cities of the State. 23 

City Chamberlain . 39 

City Clerk.29, 116 

City Court.65, 66, 112 

City Departments . 38 

City Magistrates .71, 113 

City Record . 58 

Civil Service Commissioners.18, 58, 108 

Collector of Taxes. 8 

Commissioner of Agriculture. 17 

Commissioner of Fisheries. 18 

Commissioner of Health.16, 45 

Commissioner of Jurors.69, 111 

Commissioner of Labor. 18 

Commissioners of Lunacy... 

Commissioners of Prisons... 

Commissioner of Quarantine 


19 

17 

19 



























CONTENTS Vil 

PAGE 

Commissioner to Revise the Statutes. 19 

Comptroller.5, 15, 22 

Congress of the United States.75, 76, 101 

Congressional Districts .76, 101 

Congressional District Convention. 90 

Constables . 8 

Conventions for Nominations. 90 

Coroners .5, 110 

Corporation Counsel .39, 106 

Corrections, Department of.44, 108 

Counties of the State.3, 6, 102 

County Conventions . 91 

County Courts.65, 112 

County Officers .4, 109 

Court of Appeals. 60 

Court of Claims. 65 

Court of General Sessions.66, 113 

Courts of Record. 68 

Court of Special Sessions.71, 72, 113 

Director of Farmers’ Institutes. 17 

Directory to City Offices. 105 

' District Attorney.5, 73, 109 

Districts of Local Improvement. 35 

Docks, Department of. 44 


























viii 


CONTENTS 


TAGE 

Education, Department of.48, 108 

Elections.84, 92 

Election Day .87, 93 

Election Districts . 86 

Electoral College . .... 79 

Electoral Votes of States. 77 

Excise Commissioners . 18 

Executive Officers of the State. 14 

Ferries, Department of. 44 

Finance Department .38, 106 

Fire Commissioner . 41 

Fire Department . 41 

Government .14, 23 

Governor . 14 

Grand Jury . 70 

Health Commissioners, State. 16 

Health Department, City.45, 108 

Health Officer of the Port. 20 

House of Representatives. 75 

Illiteracy . 3 

Impeachments ., 59 

Indictment . 68 

























CONTENTS ix 

PAGE 

Inspector of Elections.95, 97 

Inspectors of Factories. 18 

Inspectors of Gas Meters. 19 

Inspector of Onondaga Salt Springs. 19 

Judicial Departments. 63 

Judicial Districts . 61 

Justices of the Peace. 8 

Latitude . 2 

Law Department .39, 106 

Lieutenant-Governor . 15 

Local Boards of Improvement.32, 117 

Mayor of New York City.26, 37, 105 

Municipal Courts .73, 114 

Municipal Government . 23 

National Nominating Convention. 91 

Nativity .2, 104 

Naturalization .79, 81 

New York City. 23 

New York State.1, 101 

Nominations . 90 

Official Directory . 105 

Overseers of the Poor. 8 



























X 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 

Parks, Department of.43, 107 

Police Department.39, 106 

Poll Clerks . 93 

Population .100, 103 

Port Wardens. 20 

President of the United States.77, 79 

Presidental Election . 77 

Primaries. 88 

Public Administrator .5, 110 

Public Buildings . 31 

Railroad Commissioners. 17 

Registration of Voters. 92 

Representatives .73, 101 


School Boards . 51 

School Commissioners . 8 

School Districts .8, 51 

School Superintendents . 50 

Secretary of State. 15 

Senate Districts . 9 

Senate, State . 9 

Senate, United States. 75 

Senators .9, 75 

Sewers . 31 

























CONTENTS Xi 

PAGE 

Sheriff . 5 

Sinking Fund . 57 

Special Term .'. 63 

State Architect. 19 

State Board of Charities. 16 

State Convention. 91 

State Engineer and Surveyor. 15 

State Historian. 19 

State Legislature . 9 

State Treasury . 21 

States of the Union. 101 

Street Cleaning .42, 106 

Superintendent of Banking. 16 

Superintendent of Buildings. 32 

Superintendent of Elections. 84 

Superintendent of Insurance. 16 

Superintendent of Public Instruction. 20 

Superintendent of Public Works. 16 

Superintendent of Schools. 50 

Superintendent of State Prisons. 17 

Superintendents of the Poor. 5 

Supervisors . 6 

Supreme Court .60, 112 

Surrogate .4, 5, 110 


























xii 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 

Taxation .22, 54, 57 

Tax Commissioners. 17 

Tenement-House Department.47, 107 

Town Officers . 8 

Township . 7 

Treasurer.5, 15, 22 

Trial Term . 62 

Trustees of State Hospitals. 20 

Vice-President . 79 

Voting .83, 92 

Water Supply .42, 106 


TABLES 

States and Territories of the United States.. .100, 101 

Counties of New York State.102, 103 

Foreign-Born Population of New York City. 104 

OFFICIAL CITY DIRECTORY 


Borough Officers, City Departments, etc., etc.. .105-118 
















MAPS 


FACING PAGE 

The Senate Districts of New York State. l 

The Assembly Districts of New York County.... 12 

New York City, showing the five Boroughs.... 24 
The Senate Districts of New York County, show¬ 


ing Districts of Local Improvements. 35 

The Senate Districts of Kings County. 48 

The Judicial Districts of New York State. 61 


v 

v 


The Municipal Court Districts of Manhattan and 
the Bronx. 73 

The Municipal Court Districts of Brooklyn_ 84 

Wards of the Boroughs of Manhattan and the 

Bronx . 91 

Wards of the Borough of Brooklyn. 98 




















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MONROE 


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34 
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SARATOGA 


ONTARIO, 


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ERIE 


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MAP OF THE 

STATE OF NEW YORK 

SHOWING THE 

50 SEXATORIAJL DISTRICTS 
OF THE STATE 

As apportioned under the Constitution of 1894. 


ORANGE 


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_ LAND 


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ist 




10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21 


NASSAU^ SUFFOLK 

3,4,5,6,7,8,9 

RICHMOND 



























































































































A POLITICAL PRIMER 


OF 

NEW YORK CITY AND STATE 

The City under the Revised Charter of 1902 


How does New York compare with other States 

of the Union? 

The Empire State is the most populous of 
the forty-five, having more than seven millions of 
inhabitants. It also stands first in the value of 
its manufactures, and in the amount of its dairy 
products. Its commerce is in large part that of 
the nation. 

Is it one of the largest States? 

Twenty-five of the States are larger; and it 
is only one-fifth as large as Texas, the largest of 
the States. Its greatest extent is 312 miles from 
north to south, and 412 miles from east to west, 
including Long Island. Its total area is about 
50,000 square miles. 

What are its natural features ? 

It is diversified everywhere with forests, past¬ 
ures, arable fields, lakes, and rivers. Its longest 
river, the Hudson, is navigable 151 miles from the 
ocean. Its highest mountain, Mt. Marcy, is 5400 








2 


A POLITICAL PRIMER OF 


feet high. Its largest internal lake, Cayuga, is 
38 miles long. 

The latitude of the State is from 40° 29' 40" 
N. to 45° O' 42" N. 

Is its soil fertile? 

One-half its area is adapted to cultivation. 

Is it a ivealthy State? 

It is the richest State of the richest country in 
the world, and contains about one-eighth of the 
total wealth of the nation. 

What of its people? 

About 72y z per cent, are native-born whites; 
26 per cent are foreign-born whites; and 1% 
per cent, are of the colored races, including 5300 
Indians. There are over two million males of 
voting age, and of these 38% P er cent, are foreign 
born. There are over two million children of 
school age, of which 12 per cent, are foreign born 
and 43 per cent, have foreign-born parents. The 
female population exceeds the male population by 
forty thousand. 

What is the nativity of the foreign-born? 

Germans are about 31 per cent; Irish, 30 per 
cent; English, Scotch, and British American, 
17 per cent; Russians and Poles, 5 per cent; 
Italians, 4 per cent; and the other 13 per cent 
is made up of Scandinavians, French, and every 
other nationality. 




NEW YORK CITY AND STATE 


3 


Are the people generally educated? 

Of the native white population over ten years 
of age, 2 per cent are unable to read and write; 
of the foreign-born white population 13 per cent, 
of the colored population 18 per cent, and of the 
total population 5 per cent, are unable to read and 
write. 

How does New York compare with other States 

in this matter of illiteracy ? 

Connecticut and twelve Western States have a 
lower rate of illiteracy. The average for the whole 
United States is 13 per cent. New York has a 
lower rate than any European country, except 
Scandinavia with its 3 per cent, and Germany 
with its 4 per cent of illiterates. 

What is a county ? 

It is a subdivision of a State, and is formed 
chiefly for the despatch of judicial and financial 
business. It has no legislative function. All 
the States have these subdivisions, called counties 
in all except Louisiana, where they are called 
parishes. 

Ten counties of New York State: Albany, 
Dutchess, Kings, New York, Orange, Queens, 
Richmond, Suffolk, Ulster, and Westchester, were 
erected Nov. 1, 1683. The latest was Nassau, 
erected from the eastern part of Queens, Jan. 1, 
1899, and the others were formed between the two 





4 A POLITICAL PRIMER OF 

dates given. Counties are erected and their boun¬ 
daries changed at the will of the Legislature. 

The counties vary greatly in their area and 
their population. Each contains a county seat in 
which the court-house is situated. 

What are the county officers? 

1. In all the counties except New York, where 
there is a City Court and a Court of General 
Sessions, there is a County Judge, who is 
chosen by the electors of the county anc 1 'hose 
term of office is six years. His salary is fixed by 
law and paid from the county treasury. The 
judge acts as surrogate and administers the estates 
of deceased persons if there be no surrogate in the 
county. He holds county courts in his own 
county only, unless requested to hold court in an¬ 
other county by the judge of such other county. 

The jurisdiction of the County Court includes 
most of the actions relating to real property situ¬ 
ated in the county, and actions to recover money 
where the sum does not exceed $2000. It acts 
in concurrence with the Supreme Court of the 
State in its jurisdiction over the persons and 
property of residents of the county who are luna¬ 
tics, idiots, or habitual drunkards. 

In counties where the business requires it, there 
may be more than one County Judge, and Kings 
County has two. 

2. Counties having a population exceeding forty 


NEW YORK CITY AND STATE 5 

thousand may, and usually do, elect a Surrogate 
whose court is concerned entirely with the estates 
of decedents. The surrogate’s term of office is six 
years, excepting in New York County, where there 
are two surrogates with terms of fourteen years. 
No county judge nor surrogate may hold office 
longer than until the last day of December next 
after he is seventy years of age. 

New York, Kings, and Queens County have each 
a special county officer, the Public Administrator, 
whoL duty is to take charge of the goods of all 
persons dying intestate within the county. 

Intestacy is presumed until a will is proven. 
The Public Administrator takes charge of the 
effects of persons dying at quarantine or as pas¬ 
sengers by sea, of lodgers dying in hotels and 
boarding-houses, or deceased domestic servants, 
and he may administer the estates of any whose 
relatives do not exercise a prior right. If the prop¬ 
erty exceeds $100 in value, he gives notice to the 
Surrogate. 

3. There are likewise elected in each county a 
District Attorney, Sheriff, Clerk, Treasurer, and 
Coroners, with the exception that in New York 
City the Comptroller is the Treasurer for all the 
counties included in the city, and that Coroners 
are elected in boroughs. Kings, New York, and 
Westchester counties also have each a Register 
of Deeds. Most of the counties have from one to 
five Superintendents of the Poor. These officers 


6 


A POLITICAL PRIMER OF 


all hold office for three years, except in counties 
included in New York City, where their terms of 
office are two or four years. 

4. In those counties in which the original form 
of county administration has not been largely su¬ 
perseded by a city government, there is a Board 
of Supervisors, consisting of one member from 
each township and ward in that county. In most 
of the counties the Supervisors are annually 
elected, but in some they are elected for two years. 
The board has stated meetings for the settlement 
of its accounts, the apportionment of taxes, and 
the regulation of county affairs. It appoints a few 
minor officers. 

The board may divide or alter townships, or 
erect new ones, when such changes do not place 
parts of the same township in two Assembly dis¬ 
tricts. They have power to lay out new high¬ 
ways within the county, to estimate the amount 
of taxation needed to defray county expenses, 
and to apportion the county tax among the towns 
and cities in which it is to be levied. 

Each Supervisor represents his township or ward 
in the board. He is ex officio an overseer of the 
poor in his town, and a general manager of the 
business of his township, as well as member of the 
County Board. 

Are the counties of equal political importance? 

The counties, as such, have no representation 
in the State Legislature. New York County is 


NEW YORK CITY AND STATE 7 

the smallest, and has the largest population. St. 
Lawrence is the largest. Hamilton is next to the 
largest, and has the smallest population. 

What is a township? 

It is, in rural portions of this State, the unit of 
local administration within the county. In the 
rural districts the township is the smallest local 
circumscription, its largest group of houses being 
often a village. The number of townships in a 
county varies from six in Hamilton to thirty-three 
in Steuben. 

How is a township governed? 

It is governed by an assembly of all qualified 
voters resident within its limits, meeting at least 
once a year, on a day fixed by the Board of Super¬ 
visors, and made uniform throughout the county. 
The meeting is held in the town hall, a church, 
or other appointed place. Notice is required to 
be given at least ten days previously of the hour 
and place of meeting, and of the business to be 
brought forward. Any elector may introduce 
motions or take part in the discussions. The meet¬ 
ing has power of electing local officers, enacting 
ordinances, regulating local affairs and determin¬ 
ing what money shall be spent by the town in local 
improvements. Its powers cover the management 
of the town lands and other town property, and all 
local matters whatsoever. 



8 


A POLITICAL PRIMER OF 


What are the town officers? 

There are elected by ballot in each township 
not excepted by statute, a Supervisor, Town Clerk, 
three Assessors, a Collector, two Overseers of the 
Poor, one or three Commissioners of Highways, 
four Justices of the Peace, Constables not exceed¬ 
ing five, and four Inspectors of Election to each 
election district. Assessors and Commissioners 
of Highways are elected for three years, Justices 
of the Peace for four years, and most of the other 
officers for one year. All are paid by fees or by 
a per diem compensation for the time employed. 

Towns are divided into School Districts, within 
each of which are chosen one or three School 
Trustees, a Clerk, a Collector of the School-tax, 
and a Librarian. The School Trustees are elected 
for three years, the other school officers for one 
year. There are about twelve thousand school 
districts in the State. The interests of the public 
schools are also looked after by School Commis¬ 
sioners, of which at least one is elected in each 
Assembly District, except in the large cities. This 
Commissioner serves for three years and is paid 
from the county treasury. 

Are laws made at town meetings? 

Only purely local regulations are there estab¬ 
lished, and all regulations there made must be 
consistent with State laws and statutes. 


NEW YORK CITY AND STATE 9 

Who makes the laivs of the State? 

The members of the State Legislature at Al¬ 
bany, the capital. The Legislature is composed 
of two Houses, the upper, the Senate; the lower, 
the Assembly. 

How is the Senate made up? 

It consists of fifty men, each of whom is elected 
within a Senate District in an even-numbered 
year. The term of office for a Senator is two 
years, and the annual salary $1500, with an allow¬ 
ance of one dollar for every ten miles traveled 
in going to and returning from the place of meet¬ 
ing once in each session. A Senator may, during 
his term, hold no other civil office whatsoever. 

The Senate convenes every year the first Wednes¬ 
day in January, and remains in session three or 
four months. 

How large is a Senate District? 

That depends on the density of its population. 
Once in ten years, in May and June of the years 
ending in 5, there is an enumeration of the people, 
and at the first regular session thereafter the 
Legislature may change the boundaries of the 
Senate Districts, so that each district shall ap¬ 
proximately include one-fiftieth part of the in¬ 
habitants of the State. 

The Senate Districts must consist of contigu¬ 
ous territory, and no county can be divided except 
to make two or more Senate Districts wholly 


,10 


A POLITICAL PRIMER OF 


within the county. Some Senate Districts contain 
four counties, while the densely populated county 
of New York contains twelve Senate Districts. 
The boundaries of the Senate Districts will re¬ 
main as they now are until after the State census 
of the year 1905. These boundaries are described 
in the Revised Constitution of New York, Article 
III, Section 3. The Senate Districts are num¬ 
bered, the numbers beginning with 1 at the south¬ 
eastern corner, and ending with 50 at the south¬ 
western corner of the State. 

Should more than half the inhabitants of the 
State move into one county, would that county 
elect a majority of the Senators? 

The State Constitution declares that no county 
shall have more than one-third of all the Senators; 
and no two adjoining counties shall have more 
than one-half of all the Senators. 

Are ivomen represented in the Senate? 

They are included in the enumeration of the 
people, as are children of both sexes, and all 
persons other than aliens. The ratio for appor¬ 
tioning Senators is obtained by dividing the total 
number of inhabitants, excluding aliens, by fifty. 

Where does the Senate hold its sessions? 

In the Senate Chamber of the Capitol. It is 
presided over by the Lieutenant-Governor. 


NEW YORK CITY AND STATE 11 

Describe lower House of the Legislature at A lbany. 

The Assembly is composed of one hundred and 
fifty members, each of whom is elected within an 
Assembly District. Assemblymen are elected an¬ 
nually, with the same salary and the same allow¬ 
ance for traveling expenses as Senators. The 
Assembly sits in the Assembly Chamber of the 
Capitol, and at the same time as does the Senate. 
Neither House can adjourn for more than two 
days without the consent of the other. 

The presiding officer of the Assembly is elected 
by the members from among their own number. 

Any bill may originate in either House of the 
Legislature, and all bills passed by one House may 
be amended in the other. 

How are the Assembly Districts erected? 

The Legislature apportions to each county its 
number of members, and the Boards of Supervis¬ 
ors divide the Senate Districts into their respective 
Assembly Districts. The Assembly Districts must 
be of contiguous territory, and as nearly equal 
in population as possible. The boundaries of the 
Assembly Districts must not overlap the Senate 
District boundaries, nor the county boundaries. 
Any county with less than a ratio and a half of 
population is made one district, and at least two 
are created in other counties. Every county, with 
exception of Hamilton, which elects with Fulton, 
has at least one representative in the assembly. 


12 


A POLITICAL PRIMER OF 


No change can be made in the representation of 
counties between the periods fixed by the State 
Constitution for the apportionment based on the 
census taken in years ending in 5. But the bound¬ 
aries of Assembly Districts within any county 
may be altered within such period. The Assem¬ 
bly Districts are numbered within each county. 

How many Assembly Districts are there in the 
county of New York? 

There are thirty-five. The boundary of each, 
like the boundary of each Senate District, is usu¬ 
ally the middle of the street when not a water 
line. 

IIow many Assembly Districts are there in the 
county of Kings ? 

There are twenty-one, known each by its num¬ 
ber. 

How many Assembly Districts are there in Queens 
and in Richmond counties? 

There are three in Queens County, and one in 
Richmond County. 

Do the sixty Assemblymen from these four coun¬ 
ties represent all of New York City? 

No; a portion of the First and of the Second 
Assembly Districts of Westchester County east of 
the Bronx River is included in New York City, by 
its northern boundary-line. 


NEW YORK CITY AND STATE 13 

When are all Senators and Assemblymen elected? 

On the first Tuesday after the first Monday in 
November. Election day in this State is a legal 
holiday. 

How can one ascertain the name of the Senator 
and the Assemblyman who represent one’s own 
Senate District and Assembly District ? 

Write to the “Secretary of State, Albany, New 
York,” and ask for a printed list of the members 
of the Legislature. One need not enclose postage- 
stamps when writing to State officials, as the State 
supplies stamps for the reply. 

How does one address a member of the Legis¬ 
lature ? 

In writing to a member of the Legislature 
address him, at Albany, thus, for example: “Hon. 
Blank J. Blank, Senator, Albany, New York;” 
“Hon. John B. Roe, Member of Assembly, Albany, 
New York.” An Assemblyman or Senator has 
easy access to all the departments during the ses¬ 
sion of the Legislature, and can get for you copies 
of bills in which you are especially interested. 

If you get, through your representative in the 
Legislature, or through the Secretary of State, the 
“Legislative Manual” for the current year, you 
can gain from it much detailed information con¬ 
cerning the State officers. 


14 


A POLITICAL TRIMER OF 


What are the functions of government? 

They are legislative, executive, and judicial; 
the legislative department makes the laws; the 
executive department carries the laws into effect; 
the judicial department interprets and applies the 
law in specific cases. 

The State Legislature has no function other 
than the making of laws, though it participates 
in an executive act when advising the Governor 
concerning appointments made by him; and it 
exercises a judicial function in impeachment 
trials. The laws made by it must not contravene 
Federal laws, nor the United States Constitution, 
nor the State Constitution. 

Who are the chief executive officers of this State? 

The following officers are elected by the voters 
of the State on the Tuesday succeeding the first 
Monday in November, in the even years. They 
enter upon the duties of office on the first day of 
the following January. They all hold office for 
two years and reside during that time at Al¬ 
bany. 

1. The highest officer of the State is the Gov¬ 
ernor, whose annual salary is $10,000, with the 
use of a furnished executive mansion. No per¬ 
son is eligible to the office except a citizen of the 
United States not less than thirty years of age, 
who, for the five years next preceding his election, 
shall have been a resident of the State. 


NEW YORK CITY AND STATE 15 

He is Commander-in-Chief of the military and 
naval forces of the State. During the session of 
the Legislature he has power to veto any bill 
passed by that body, but if two-thirds of the mem¬ 
bers elected to each House vote to pass a vetoed 
bill, the same becomes a law. 

2. The next executive officer is the Lieuten¬ 
ant-Governor, whose salary is $5000, and who is 
eligible under the same conditions as is the Gov¬ 
ernor. If the Governor be disabled, the powers 
and duties of his office devolve upon the Lieu¬ 
tenant-Governor. 

3. The Secretary of State is keeper of the 
State archives. He superintends the publication 
and distribution of laws; issues patents for lands, 
commissions, pardons, and licenses, and notices of 
elections. He appoints a deputy and necessary 
clerks, and his salary is $5000. 

4. The Comptroller manages the funds of the 
State and superintends the collection of its taxes. 
His salary is $6000, and he is allowed a deputy, 
a second deputy, and necessary clerks. 

5. The Treasurer is the custodian of all 
moneys paid into the State treasury. His salary 
is $5000, and he is allowed a deputy and clerks. 

6. The Attorney-General is the law officer 
of the State. His salary is $5000, and he is al¬ 
lowed three deputies and clerks. 

7. The State Engineer and Surveyor has 
duties relating to the public lands and canals. 


16 


A POLITICAL PRIMER OF 


His salary is $5000, and he appoints a deputy and 
clerks. 

Besides these elected officers, with their large 
staff of salaried deputies and clerks, the following 
are appointed by the Governor with the advice and 
consent of the Senate:— 

(a) A Superintendent of Public Works, 
with salary of $6000, who has charge of the re¬ 
pair and navigation of the canals, and of special 
improvements authorized by acts of the Legisla¬ 
te, and who holds office until the end of the 
t of the Governor who appointed him; ( b ) 
tL Health Commissioners, who hold office for 
+ hi vree v, without compensation, and who are 
m ree - the State Board of Health, taking 
cogmwu,e of the interests of health among the 
people of the State, investigating the causes of dis¬ 
eases, the physical effects of employments, the 
adulteration of foods, drugs and liquors, and 
keeping the vital and sanitary statistics of the 
State; (c) a Superintendent of Insurance, 
with a term of three years and a salary of $7000, 
who supervises the insurance companies transact¬ 
ing business in the State; ( d ) a Superintendent 
of Banking, with a term of three years and a 
salary of $7000, who supervises and examines 
banks and loan associations operated under State 
laws; ( e ) the State Board of Charities, having 
twelve members, one from each judicial district 
of the State, with one additional member from the 


NEW YORK CITY AND STATE 


17 


County of Kings and three from the County of 
New York, with terms of eight years, a per diem 
compensation of $10 when engaged in the work 
of the board or its committees, and the amount 
of all contingent expenses; (/) eight Commis¬ 
sioners of Prisons, with terms of eight years, 
with compensation the same as in the State Board 
of Charities, and with the duty of inspecting all 
places of detention for men charged with or con¬ 
victed of criminal offenses; ( g ) a Superinten¬ 
dent of State Prisons, with a term of five years 
and a salary of $6000, having supervision of all 
the State prisons, the appointment of agents and 
wardens and the regulation of discipline Therein 
(h) three Railroad Commissioners, * fts 

of five years, salary of $8000, and the’ lMty of 
cognizance as to the manner in which all railroads 
in the State are maintained and operated with 
reference to the security and accommodation of 
the public; ( i ) three Tax Commissioners, wffh 
terms of three years, salary of $2500 and allow¬ 
ance for contingent expenses, who must officially 
visit every county in the State at least once in 
two years and inquire into methods of taxation 
and furnish local assessors with instruction, in¬ 
formation, and forms; (;) a Commissioner of 
Agriculture, with term of three years, salary 
of $4000, and power to appoint a Director of 
Farmers’ Institutes, five experts for the inspec¬ 
tion of butter and cheese factories, and agents to 


18 


A POLITICAL PRIMER OF 


examine and report upon the farm and dairy 
products and interests of the State; (k) five 
Commissioners of Fisheries, Game, and For¬ 
ests, with terms of five years, and salaries of $3000 
or $2500, to have charge of the fish-hatching es¬ 
tablishments, the shell-fish industry and the forest 
lands of the State; (l) a Commissioner of 
Labor, with term of four years and salary of 
$3500, whose duty it is to appoint and supervise 
deputies who shall inspect factories and see that 
the laws applying thereto are complied with; shall 
proceed to the locality in which strikes or lockouts 
occur and endeavor to effect an amicable settle¬ 
ment; and shall collect and assort statistics relat¬ 
ing to all departments of labor in the State; (m) 
three Civil Service Commissioners, with terms 
not fixed by statute, salary of $2000, and the duty 
of aiding the Governor in the preparation of suit¬ 
able rules with which to test by practical and 
competitive examinations the capacity and fitness 
of applicants for employment in the public service 
of the State, and in civil divisions of the State 
other than cities, to the end that appointment and 
promotions may be made on the basis of merit 
and competition, and with power to appoint an 
examiner, and to approve or disapprove the civil 
service regulations prescribed by the mayors of 
cities; (n) an Excise Commissioner, with term 
of five years, salary of $5000, power to issue liquor- 
tax certificates and collect pay therefor, and to 


NEW YORK CITY AND STATE 


19 


appoint one general deputy and five special depu¬ 
ties, one for the County of Erie, one for the 
borough of Manhattan, one for the borough of 
Brooklyn, one for the borough of the Bronx, one 
for the boroughs of Queens and Richmond; ( o ) an 
Inspector of Gas Meters, resident in New 
York, with term of five years, salary of $5000, duty 
of examining, proving, and stamping if approved, 
all meters for measuring gas, and with power to 
appoint two deputies to respectively reside in Al¬ 
bany and in Buffalo; (p) an Inspector of Onon¬ 
daga Salt Springs, with term of three years, 
salary of $1500, and the duty of supervising the 
salt works on the Salt Springs Reservation; (^) 
a State Architect, with a salary of $7500, who 
may be removed at the pleasure of the Governor, 
and who acts as architect of all buildings con¬ 
structed at the expense of the State; (r) three 
Commissioners of Lunacy, with term of six 
years, salary of $7500, $5000, and $3500 respec¬ 
tively, and jurisdiction over institutions for the 
care and treatment of the insane; ( s ) a State 
Historian, whose duty it is to collect and pre¬ 
pare for publication all official records relating to 
this State; (t) three Commissioners to Revise 
the Statutes of the State, with salary of 
$3000; ( u) three Commissioners of Quaran¬ 
tine, with term of three years and salary of 
$2500, who have custody of the quarantine estab¬ 
lishment of the port of New York, and make rules 


20 


A POLITICAL PRIMER OF 


for its government; (v) a Health Officer of 
the Port of New York, a physician of ten years’ 
experience, with term of four years and salary of 
$12,500, who superintends the quarantine estab¬ 
lishment, appoints deputies, nurses, boatmen and 
other employees, and acts in conjunction with the 
Commissioners of Quarantine; ( w) nine Port 
Wardens, who hold office for three years, and 
one special Port Warden, who holds office for two 
years, whose compensation is provided from fees 
collected from ship-owners, and who have cog¬ 
nizance of all matters relating to damaged or dis¬ 
tressed vessels in the port of New York. 

Most of the Commissioners and the Boards have 
secretaries, clerks, stenographers, and other as¬ 
sistants, appointed by themselves, and composing 
a considerable staff. 

The Governor likewise appoints Trustees of 
State Hospitals and Asylums for the insane and 
the feeble-minded; managers of State Reforma¬ 
tories, Houses of Refuge, the Craig colony of 
epileptics, Asylums for Indian children, and agents 
for the five tribes of Indians living in the State. 
He also appoints a number of officials and boards 
for whose appointment the advice and consent of 
the Senate are not required. 

The Senate and Assembly by joint ballot elect 
the State Superintendent of Public Instruc¬ 
tion. His term is three years, and his salary 


NEW YORK CITY AND STATE 21 

$5000. He appoints two deputies and necessary 
clerks. 

Besides the cost of the administrative department , 
what other fixed charges are there upon the State 
treasury ? 

There are the State Charitable Institutions and 
Hospitals; the Public Schools; the Judges’ sal¬ 
aries and Court expenses; the State prisons and 
their maintenance; the National Guard, including 
arsenals and armories; the care and maintenance 
of the Capitol, and the Legislature, including its 
printing. 

For items of expenditure during the last cal¬ 
endar year, one may write to “The State Comptrol¬ 
ler, Albany, New York,” asking for his latest 
printed annual report. 

How is the money for meeting these expenditures 
obtained? 

By taxation of movable or personal property 
and immovable or real property, together with the 
corporation tax, succession tax, and liquor tax. 
To the State tax are added the county tax and the 
town or ward tax, beside the taxes for local pur¬ 
poses. 

First valuations are made by local assessors 
and returned by them to the county officers. The 
county officers transmit to the State Comptroller 
the aggregate assessments of real and personal 
property for the county. From the data furnished 


22 


A POLITICAL PRIMER OF 


by the Comptroller the Legislature fixes annually 
the rate of taxation for State purposes which shall 
be collected from real and personal property. The 
State Comptroller determines the quota of the 
State taxes to be collected by the several counties 
and paid to the State Treasurer. The sum so 
fixed must be paid by the counties. 

Within each county the county tax is added to 
the amount to be paid to the State, and each town 
or ward is required to pay its quota according to 
the amount assessed. 

Then within the townships or cities or vil¬ 
lages, the amount to be paid the county is in¬ 
creased by the local tax. 

Real and personal property is taxable at uni¬ 
form rates, through the medium of the local 
authorities. 

Individuals are not required to furnish state¬ 
ments in regard to their personal property, but 
they are notified of the amount fixed by the 
assessor, and are given opportunity to show if 
it is too high. Debts may be deducted from 
the assessed valuation of property. The laws 
concerning taxation are very complex, and it is 
possible for the same property to be taxed thrice 
over, or for property to escape taxation altogether, 
without manifest illegality. It is easier to escape 
taxation in the city than in rural districts. 


NEW YORK CITY AND STATE 


Vo the people of this State live chiefly in cities f 

New York State includes 41 incorporated cities 
and villages with a population of 10,000 and 
upwards, and 225 incorporated cities and villages 
with a population of from 1,000 to 10,000. 

Mention several cities of the State in the order of 
their size, and give their population in June, 
1900. 

New York, 3,437,202; Buffalo, 352,387; Roches¬ 
ter, 162,608; Syracuse, 108,374; Albany, 94,151; 
Troy, 60,651; Utica, 56,383; Yonkers, 47,931; 
Binghamton, 39,647; Elmira, 35,672; Schenec¬ 
tady, 31,682; Auburn, 30,345. 

Under what government do cities exist? 

Municipal governments are provided by law 
for cities and villages, securing to them separate 
officers and tribunals for the management of their 
corporate affairs, and giving them privileges vary¬ 
ing with their respective charters from the State 
government. Their charters must be consistent 
with the Constitution of the State. 

Describe the city of New York. 

Its greatest length is 35 miles from Mount St. 
Vincent to Tottenville; its greatest width is 19 
miles, from the North River at West 14th Street, 
to the inlet between Far Rockaway and Shelter 
Island; and its area is 308 square miles. It is 
the second city of the world in population, only 


24 


A POLITICAL PRIMER OF 


London having more inhabitants. Its population 
is greater than that of any of the States, except 
Pennsylvania, Illinois, and Ohio, and is as great 
as the total white population of the 13 original 
States in 1790. 

It includes the whole of the four counties of 
New York, Kings, Queens, and Richmond, and 
the southern end of Westchester County, with the 
rivers, and the harbor, extending to low-water 
mark on the New Jersey shore. 

Describe the Boroughs of New York. 

The city is divided, for administrative pur¬ 
poses, into five boroughs. These boroughs were 
first named as such by the charter signed by the 
Governor, May 4, 1897. That charter added Brook¬ 
lyn, Queens, and Richmond boroughs to the city 
of New York, divided New York County into 
two boroughs, Manhattan and the Bronx, and be¬ 
came effective on January 1, 1898. 

The Borough of the Bronx is bounded on the 
north by Westchester County, on the east and 
south by Long Island Sound, and on the west by 
the Harlem and Hudson rivers. It includes the 
islands on its eastern side. Its northern boun¬ 
dary, which is the northern boundary of the city, 
runs just south of the city of Yonkers and the city 
of Mount Vernon, and then runs straight to the 
middle of the channel between Hunter’s Island 
and Glen Island. 

The greater part of this borough, with that of 






















NEW YORK CITY AND STATE 25 

Manhattan, forms the county of New York, the 
most populous county of the State. 

That portion of the borough lying east of the 
Bronx River is in Westchester County. It is called 
the Annexed District, having been included in 
New York city in 1895. 

The Borough of Manhattan is bounded on 
the north by Harlem River, which separates it 
from the borough of the Bronx; on the east by 
East River, which separates it from Queens and 
Brooklyn, on the south by New York Bay, and on 
the west by the Hudson River. It is chiefly an 
island 13% miles long, and 2% miles wide in its 
widest part, at 14th Street. This borough in¬ 
cludes Randall’s, Ward’s, Blackwell’s, Governor’s, 
Bedloe’s, Ellis, and Oyster islands. 

The Borough of Brooklyn is the county of 
Kings. It is bounded on the north by East River 
and the borough of Queens, on the east by the 
borough of Queens and Jamaica Bay, on the south 
by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Gravesend 
Bay, the Narrows, and New York Bay. Kings 
County is the second county in the State in popu¬ 
lation. 

The Borough of Queens is the county of 
Queens and is bounded on the north by the East 
River and Long Island Sound, on the east by 
Nassau County, on the south by the Atlantic 
Ocean, and on the west by the borough of Brooklyn 
and the East River. 


26 


A POLITICAL PRIMER OF 


The Borough of Richmond is the county of 
Richmond, which is Staten Island. It is bounded 
on the north by the Kill von Kull and New York 
Bay, on the east by the Narrows and the Lower 
Bay, on the south by Raritan Bay, and on the 
west by Arthur Kill. 

The population of Manhattan in June, 1900 
was 1,850,093; of Brooklyn, 1,166,582; of Bronx, 
200,507; of Queens, 152,999; of Richmond, 67 ,- 
021 . 

The area of Queens is about 128 square miles; of 
Brooklyn, 61; of Richmond, 57; of Bronx, 43; of 
Manhattan, 20 . 

When are the city officers elected in the five 

boroughs? 

In the odd-numbered years, on the Tuesday 
after the first Monday in November. They assume 
the duties of their respective offices at noon on 
the first day of the following January, and most 
of them serve tw r o years. 

The Mayor, the Comptroller, and the President 
of the Board of Aldermen are chosen by plurality 
vote of the voters of the whole city. The Borough 
Presidents are chosen by plurality vote of the 
voters in their respective boroughs. Aldermen are 
chosen each in an aldermanic district, and county 
officers are chosen in their respective counties. 
Each officer represents the people of the area 
wherein he was elected. 


NEW YORK CITY AND STATE. 27 

What determines methods of legislation and ad¬ 
ministration in New York City? 

Its revised charter, which took effect January 1, 
1902. 

What is the chief legislative body ? 

The Board of Aldermen, whose meetings are 
held publicly in the City Hall on the first Mon¬ 
day in January, and at least once in every month 
other than August and September. The times 
of its stated meetings are determined by itself. 
The Mayor may at any time call a special meet¬ 
ing. 

Whenever the Mayor is prevented from attend¬ 
ing to the duties of his office, the President of 
the Board of Aldermen acts in his stead, but has 
no power of appointment or removal unless the dis¬ 
ability of the Mayor shall have continued thirty 
days; nor power to sign, approve or disapprove 
any ordinance unless the Mayor’s disability shall 
have continued nine davs. In the absence of the 

u 

President, the board elects one of its members as 
presiding officer. The President’s salary is $5000. 

Members are elected to the Board of Aldermen, 
one from each of the 73 aldermanic districts within 
the city. Any citizen who is a resident of the 
city is eligible for election in any one of the aider- 
manic districts. He may hold no other office 
under the city, nor be its employee in any capacity. 
His salary is $1000 a year. 


28 


A POLITICAL PRIMER OF 


The Aldermanic Districts are identical with 
the Assembly Districts existing January 1, 1901, 
with the following exceptions: in New York 
County the 34th has been divided into two, put¬ 
ting the portion below the Harlem River into Man¬ 
hattan, and the 35th has been divided into four, 
while the annexed portion of Westchester County 
constitutes two; in Manhattan, the 21st, the 23d, 
and the 31st have each been divided into two; in 
Brooklyn the 7th has been divided into two; in 
Queens, the 1st and the 2d have each been divided 
into two; and Richmond has been divided into 
three. Of the 73 aldermanic districts of the city, 
Manhattan has thirty-seven, Brooklyn twenty-two, 
Bronx seven, Queens four, and Richmond three. 

Vacancies in the Board are filled for the un¬ 
expired term by an election by a majority of all 
the members elected thereto, of a person of the 
same political party as the member whose place 
has become vacant. 

The head of any department of the city gov¬ 
ernment is entitled to a seat in the Board of Al¬ 
dermen, and must attend its sittings whenever 
required by it and answer all questions put to him 
by any member concerning the affairs of his de¬ 
partment, provided he shall have received forty- 
eight hours’ previous notice thereof. He may par¬ 
ticipate in the discussions of the Board, but has 
not the right to vote on the questions before it. 


NEW YORK CITY AND STATE 29 

Every ordinance or resolution of the board is 
duly certified and presented to the Mayor, who 
returns it within ten days, or at the next meeting 
of the Board of Aldermen after the expiration of 
said ten days. If he approves it, he signs it. If 
he disapproves it, he returns it with a written 
statement of his objections. Should he not return 
it within the specified time, it takes effect as if 
he had approved it. In case of disapproval, the 
Board of Aldermen must, within fifteen days after 
such ordinance or resolution shall have been re¬ 
turned to it, proceed to reconsider the same, and 
if it be again passed by a vote of at least two- 
thirds of all the members of the board, it takes 
effect, unless the ordinance or resolution involves 
the expenditure of money, the creation of a debt, 
or the laying of an assessment, in which case a 
three-fourths vote of all the members of the board 
is required to pass it over the Mayor’s veto, or 
unless it involves the grant of a franchise, in 
which case the Mayor’s veto is final. 

A quorum of the board is a majority of all its 
members. 

Who acts as Secretary of the Board of Aldermen f 

The City Clerk, who is appointed by the Board 
of Aldermen, who holds office for six years, and 
whose salary is $7000. It is his duty to prepare 
a statement of the proceedings at every meeting 
of the board, and to furnish the same for publica- 


30 


A POLITICAL PRIMER OP 


tion in the “City Record.” He also has charge of 
all the papers and documents of the city, except 
such as are by law committed to the keeping of 
the departments, or of other officers. 

Who is the chief officer in the borough? 

The Borough President, who must be a resi¬ 
dent of his borough at the time of his election 
and throughout his term of office. The salary of 
the Presidents of the boroughs of Manhattan, 
Brooklyn and the Bronx is $7,500 a year, and that 
of the Presidents of Queens and Richmond is 
$5000 a year. 

A vacancy in the office of President of a borough 
is filled for the unexpired term by election; a 
majority vote of all the members of the Board 
of aldermen then in office and representing said 
borough being required therefor. 

The powers of the President are considerable 
and his duties are varied. Section 383 of the 
Charter says: 

He shall, within the borough for which he shall 
have been elected, have cognizance and control: 

1. Of regulating, grading, curbing, flagging and 
guttering of streets and laying of crosswalks. 

2. Of constructing and repairing public roads. 

3. Of paving, repaving, resurfacing and repairing 
of all streets, and of the relaying of all pavements 
removed for any cause. 

4. Of the laying or relaying of surface railroad 
tracks in any public street or road, of the form of 
rail used, or character of foundation, and the method 
of construction, and of the restoration of the pave¬ 
ment or surface after such work. 


NEW YORK CITY AND STATE 


31 


5. Of the filling of sunken lots, fencing of vacant 
lots, digging down lots, and of licensing vaults under 
sidewalks. 

6. Of the removal of incumbrances. 

7. Of the issue of permits to builders and others 
to use or open the streets. 

8. Of the construction and maintenance of all 
bridges, and tunnels which are within his borough 
and form a portion of the highways thereof, except 
such bridges as cross navigable streams. 

9. Of all subjects relating to the public sewers and 
drainage of his borough, and shall initiate the making 
of all plans for the drainage of his borough, except 
as otherwise specifically provided in this act. He 
shall have charge of the construction of all sewers 
in accordance with said plans. He shall have in 
charge the management, care and maintenance of 
the sewer and drainage system of the borough of 
which he shall be President and the licensing of 
all cisterns and cesspools. 

10. Of the construction, repairs, cleaning and main¬ 
tenance of public buildings, except schoolhouses, 
almshouses, penitentiaries,, the fire and police sta¬ 
tion houses, and other buildings whose care and 
custody are otherwise provided for in this act. 

11. Of the care and cleaning of all offices leased or 
occupied for public uses. 

12. Of the location, establishment, care, erection, 
and maintenance of the public baths and public com¬ 
fort stations; and of the placing of all signs indi¬ 
cating the names of the streets and other public 
places. 

The Presidents of the boroughs of Queens and 
Richmond have, in addition, control of the clean¬ 
ing of streets in their respective boroughs. 


32 


A POLITICAL PRIMER OF 


In the office of each Borough President is a 
bureau of buildings; and every borough may have a 
Superintendent of Buildings, appointed by the 
Borough President, and subject to removal by him. 

What are the Local Boards of Improvement ? 

These boards are each composed of the President 
of the borough, as chairman of the board, and such 
members of the Board of Aldermen as represent 
an aldermanic district within the area for whose 
improvement the board is constituted. The meet¬ 
ings of each local board are held at the main hall 
or public building of the borough. It is the 
duty of the President to call a meeting whenever 
in his opinion the public business shall require 
it, or whenever he shall receive the written request 
of any three members of a local board. The presi¬ 
dent of a local board and one other member thereof 
constitute a quorum at any meeting duly called. 

The jurisdiction of each local board is confined 
to the district for which it is constituted, and to 
those subjects or matters the costs or expenses 
whereof are in whole or in part a charge upon 
the people or property of the district, or a part 
of the district. 

Every resolution of a local board must, before it 
takes effect, be approved by the Borough Presi¬ 
dent. 

If it relates to public nuisances, to violations of 
State law, or to the condition of the poor within 


NEW YORK CITY AND STATE 


33 


the district, it must be submitted to the Mayor, and 
if he shall within ten days thereafter declare the 
same to be general in character, it is invalid, other¬ 
wise it takes effect upon the expiration of the said 
period of ten days. 

Resolutions affecting more than one district can 
be adopted only at a joint meeting of the local 
boards of the districts affected, and by a majority 
of the members of said boards. 

A local board has power, in all cases where the 
cost of the improvement is to be met in whole or 
in part by assessments upon the property benefited, 
to initiate proceedings for the following purposes: 
To construct tunnels and bridges lying wholly with¬ 
in the borough; to acquire title to land for parks 
and squares, streets, sewers, tunnels and bridges, 
and approaches to bridges and tunnels; to open, 
close, extend, widen, grade, pave, regrade, repave 
and repair the streets, avenues and public places, 
and to construct sewers within the district; to flag 
or reflag, curb or recurb the sidewalks, and to relay 
crosswalks on such streets and avenues; to set or to 
reset street lamps; and to provide signs designating 
the names of the streets. 

A local board also has power to hear complaints 
of nuisances in streets or avenues, or against dis¬ 
orderly houses, drinking saloons conducted in vio¬ 
lation of the laws regulating the traffic in liquor, 
gambling houses or any other places or congrega¬ 
tions violative of good order or of the laws of this 
State, or other matters or things concerning the 
peace, comfort, order and good government respect¬ 
ing any neighborhood within the district, or con¬ 
cerning the condition of the poor within the district, 


34 


A POLITICAL PRIMER OP 


and to pass such resolutions concerning the same as 
may not be inconsistent with the powers of the 
Board of Aldermen or of the respective administra¬ 
tive departments of the city of New York, and to aid 
such Board of Aldermen and departments in the 
discharge of their duties respecting the good govern¬ 
ment of the said district. 

When a petition for a local improvement within 
the jurisdiction of a local board has been received 
by the President of the Borough, it is his duty to 
appoint a time for the meeting of the proper local 
board, not more than fifteen days thereafter, at which 
meeting such petition will by him be submitted to 
the said local board, and he must thereupon cause a 
notice to be published in the City Record, that such 
petition has been presented to him and is on file 
in his office for inspection, and of the time when 
and of the place where there will be a meeting of the 
local board at which such petition will be submitted 
by him, to said board, which time must not be less 
than ten days after the publication of the notice. 

If the local board decide that proceedings be 
initiated for a local improvement within its juris¬ 
diction, it thereupon transmits a copy of such reso¬ 
lution to the Board of Estimate and Apportionment. 
Said board must promptly consider such resolution, 
and approve or reject the same, and return said 
resolution, if approved, to the President of the Bor¬ 
ough where it originated, and he may thereupon 
proceed in the execution of the work covered by 
said resolution; but no public work or improve¬ 
ment, involving an assessment for benefit, can be 
authorized until there has been presented to the 
Board of Estimate and Apportionment an estimate 
in writing, in such detail as the board may direct, 
of the cost of the proposed work or improvement, 



RIVER- m * 


BOWLING .GREEN" 


BOWERY 


MORRISANIA 


£ \ CLINTON 


RANDALLS 


WARD’S 


ISLAND 


ISLAND 


RIKER’S ISLAND 


MAP OF 


SENATE DISTRICTS OF NEW YORK COUNTY 

SHOWING DISTRICTS OF LOCAL IMPROVEMENTS 

The large figure indicates the number of 
the Senate District; the figures in small ovals 
indicate the numbers of the assembly districts 
Included in that Senate District. 


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BOWERY 


YORKVILLE 


(6 


10) 


(24 


28 ) 


26 


E!^£*S^US|3tXN0 


GOVERNOR’S 

ISLAND 















































































NEW YORK CITY AND STATE 


35 


and a statement of the assessed value, according to 
the last preceding tax roll, of the real estate included 
within the probable area of assessment. The ex¬ 
pense of all such improvements must be assessed 
and be a lien on the property benefited thereby, in 
proportion to the amount of said benefit; but no 
such work can be done by the Borough President 
on any item which imposes a charge upon the whole 
city of more than five hundred thousand dollars, 
except with the approval of the Board of Aldermen. 

A local board has power to cause the flagging or 
reflagging of sidewalks, laying or relaying of cross¬ 
walks, fencing vacant lots, digging down lots or 
filling in sunken lots within its district, by resolu¬ 
tion approved by the Board of Estimate and Appor¬ 
tionment. When the expenses to be incurred by 
any one such resolution do not exceed the sum of 
two thousand dollars, the approval of the Board 
of Estimate and Apportionment is unnecessary. 
When public work or improvement has been duly 
authorized the President of the Borough within 
which such work is to be done must proceed forth¬ 
with in the execution thereof. 

What are the boundaries of the districts for home 

rule and local improvement ? 

The city is divided into twenty-five of these 
districts, of which there are twelve in Manhattan, 
eight in Brooklyn, two in the Bronx, two in 
Queens, and one in Bichmond. 

The first district consists of the county of Rich¬ 
mond, and is called Staten Island; the second dis¬ 
trict, wards one and two of the borough of Queens, 
called Newtown; the third district, wards three, four 
and five of the borough of Queens, called Jamaica 


36 


A POLITICAL PRIMER OF 


the fourth district, the territory comprised in the 
third senatorial district, called the Heights; the fifth 
district, the territory comprised in the fourth sena¬ 
torial district, called Bedford; the sixth district, 
the eighth, thirtieth and thirty-first wards of the 
Borough of Brooklyn, called Bay Ridge; the seventh 
district, the tenth and twelfth wards of the borough 
of Brooklyn, called Red Hook; the eighth district, 
the territory comprised in the sixth senatorial dis¬ 
trict, called Prospect Heights; the ninth district, 
the territory comprised in the seventh senatorial 
district, called Williamsburg; the tenth district, the 
territory comprised in the eighth senatorial district, 
called Flatbush; the eleventh district, the territory 
comprised in the ninth senatorial district, called 
Bushwick; the twelfth district, the territory com¬ 
prised in the tenth senatorial district, called Bowling 
Green; the thirteenth district, the territory com¬ 
prised in the eleventh senatorial district, called the 
Bowery; the fourteenth district, the territory com¬ 
prised in the twelfth senatorial district, called Cor- 
lear’s Hook; the fifteenth district, the territory 
comprised in the thirteenth senatorial district, called 
Greenwich; the sixteenth district, the territory 
comprised in the fourteenth senatorial district, called 
Kip’s Bay; the seventeenth district, the territory 
comprised in the fifteenth senatorial district, called 
Murray Hill; the eighteenth district, the territory 
comprised in the sixteenth senatorial district, called 
Chelsea; the nineteenth district, the territory com¬ 
prised in the fifteenth and seventeenth assembly dis¬ 
tricts of the county of New York, called Hudson; 
the twentieth district, the territory comprised in the 
eighteenth senatorial district, called Yorkville; the 
twenty-first district, the territory comprised in the 
nineteenth and twenty-first assembly districts of the 


NEW YORK CITY AND STATE 


37 


county of New York, called Riverside; the twenty- 
second district, the territory comprised in the thirty- 
first and twenty-third assembly districts of the 
county of New York, called Washington Heights; 
the twenty-third district, the territory comprised in 
the twentieth and that part of the twenty-first sena¬ 
torial district which lies in the Borough of Man¬ 
hattan, called Harlem; the twenty-fourth district, 
the territory comprised in the twenty-first senatorial 
district of the State of New York in the Borough of 
the Bronx west of the Bronx River, called Mor- 
risania; the twenty-fifth district, so much of the 
territory comprised in the twenty-second senatorial 
district of the State of New York as lies in the 
city of New York east of the Bronx River, called 
Chester. 

Who is the chief executive officer of New York 

City ? 

The Mayor, who appoints the heads of all the 
fifteen administrative departments of the city, 
with the one exception of the department of 
finance. He also appoints two Commissioners of 
Accounts; three or more Civil Service Commis¬ 
sioners; all commissioners appointed to erect or 
repair any building belonging to the city; Inspec¬ 
tors and Sealers of Weights and Measures, and 
several other officers not elected by the people. 

He may remove from office at any time any 
public officer appointed by himself, or another 
Mayor of New York City, excepting members of 
the Board of Education, the Aqueduct Commis¬ 
sioners, trustees of the College of the City of New 


38 


A POLITICAL PRIMER OF 


York, trustees of Bellevue and allied hospitals, 
and excepting also judicial officers for whose re¬ 
moval other provision is made by the Constitu¬ 
tion of the State. 

It is his duty to communicate to the Board of 
Aldermen at least once in each year a general 
statement of the finances, government and im¬ 
provement of the city, and to recommend such 
measures as he may deem expedient; to keep him¬ 
self informed of the doings of the departments and 
to be vigilant in causing the laws of the State and 
the ordinances of the city to be enforced. His 
salary is $15,000 a year, and an annual sum is 
appropriated for the expenses incurred by him in 
the payment of clerks and subordinates appointed 
by him to aid in the discharge of his official 
duties. 

Name the administrative departments of the 

city government ? 

1. The Finance Department, whose head is 
the Comptroller. He is elected at the same time 
and in the same way as is the Mayor, and has an 
annual salary of $15,000. This department has 
control of all the financial concerns of the city. 
All accounts kept in or rendered to other depart¬ 
ments are subject to the inspection and revision 
of the officers of this department. It contains five 
bureaus: one for the collection of revenue accru¬ 
ing from rents, interest, and sales; one for the 


NEW YORK CITY AND STATE 


39 


collection of taxes; one for the collection of 
arrears; one which audits all accounts in which 
the city is concerned; and one for the reception 
of all moneys paid into the treasury, and the pay¬ 
ments of all moneys out of the treasury. The 
Comptroller appoints all officers in this depart¬ 
ment except the head of the last-named bureau, 
the City Chamberlain, who is appointed by the 
Mayor, and whose salary is $12,000. The office 
of Chamberlain had its origin in the city in 1653. 

2. The Law Department, whose head is known 
as the Corporation Counsel, and whose salary is 
$15,000. Its main office is in Manhattan, with 
branches in other boroughs. The Corporation 
Counsel is the legal adviser of the Mayor and of 
the Board of Aldermen and has charge of all the 
law business of the city departments and boards. 
He appoints all his subordinates and fixes their 
compensation within the limits of the appropria¬ 
tion for his department. 

3. The Police Department, whose head is a 
Commissioner, with an annual salary of $7500, 
He has control of the government, administration, 
discipline, and disposition of the police force of 
the city. He may appoint a first and a second 
deputy commissioner, with salaries of $4,000 a 
year, and may define their duties. He may also 
appoint fifteen inspectors; captains not exceeding 
one to each fifty of the total number of patrol¬ 
men; sergeants not exceeding four in number 


40 


A POLITICAL PRIMER OF 


to each fifty of the total number of patrolmen, 
and roundsmen in the same proportion, besides 
detective sergeants, telegraph operators, surgeons, 
doormen, clerks, matrons, and other members of 
the police force. 

No person who is not a citizen of the United 
States, who has ever been convicted of felony, who 
cannot read and write in the English language, 
or who shall not have resided within the State the 
year next preceding his appointment, may hold 
membership in the police force, and no person dis¬ 
missed from the force may be reappointed. 

Promotions must be made by the Commissioner, 
on the basis of seniority, meritorious service, and 
superior capacity as shown by competitive exami¬ 
nation. All patrolmen are graded, the salaries 
in the seven grades varying from $800 in the 
seventh to $1400 in the first. Roundsmen are se¬ 
lected from among patrolmen of the first grade, 
and their salaries are $1500; sergeants are selected 
from among roundsmen who have served as such 
at least two years continuously, and their salaries 
are $2000. Captains are selected from among 
sergeants who have served as such at least three 
years, and their salaries are $2750. Inspectors 
are selected from among captains who have served 
as such for at least two years, and their salaries 
are $3500. 

The city is divided into precincts, and each 
precinct has a station-house, with a captain, 


NEW YORK CITY AND STATE 41 

sergeants, doorman, and such other officers as are 
detailed to it by the Commissioner. 

The Commissioner also details members of the 
force to co-operate with the Department of Health, 
or to assist the Department of Parks, or for ser¬ 
vice in the Department of Bridges, or to attend at 
the courts of the city. 

There is a police-pension fund, which is made 
up of two per cent of the pay of all members of 
the force, and from fines, gifts, testimonials and 
various other sources. 

4. The Fire Department has the sole and ex¬ 
clusive authority to extinguish fires in the city. 
Its head is a Commissioner, who manages the 
department with all its property, and whose salary 
is $7500 a year. He appoints a deputy, whose 
office is in the borough of Brooklyn, and whose 
duties relate to the boroughs of Brooklyn and 
Queens. 

The members of the uniformed force of fire¬ 
men are graded according to their term of service, 
and may be assigned to duty anywhere within the 
city. 

There are three bureaus in this department, one 
directing the extinguishing of fires, in charge 
of a chief, one having in charge the execution of 
the laws relating to the sale and use of combus¬ 
tibles, in charge of an Inspector of Combustibles, 
and one for the investigation of the origin of fires, 
in charge of Fire Marshals. 


42 


A POLITICAL PRIMER OP 


The Fire Commissioner has power to select 
heads of bureaus, and as many officers and fire¬ 
men as may be necessary. He is also empowered 
to maintain a corps of sappers and miners. 

The city is divided into fire-districts, each with 
an engine-house and equipment. 

5. The Department of Water Supply, Gas 
and Electricity has as its head a Commissioner, 
who has control of all structures and property con¬ 
nected with the supply and distribution of water 
for public use, except such as are owned by private 
corporations. He has also the regulation of con¬ 
tracts made for lighting the streets, parks and 
public buildings of the city, and the duty of in¬ 
specting and testing the appliances used in illumi¬ 
nation. His salary is $7500 a year. The main 
office of the department is in Manhattan. 

6. The Department of Street Cleaning has 
as its head a Commissioner, whose annual salary 
is $7500. He has control in the boroughs of Man¬ 
hattan, the Bronx and Brooklyn, of the cleaning 
of the streets, of the removal of garbage, ashes, 
and rubbish, and of freeing the leading thorough¬ 
fares from ice and snow. His annual salary is 
$7500. 

The members of the department are divided into 
two classes, the clerical force and the uniformed 
force. The clerical force consists of a chief clerk, 
three medical examiners, and as many clerks and 
messengers as the Commissioner requires. The 


NEW YORK CITY AND STATE 43 

uniformed force are detailed in the twenty-one 
districts into which the city may be divided. Each 
district is under the charge of a superintendent 
who is directly responsible to the general superin¬ 
tendent, and also to the Commissioner, for the 
cleanliness of his district. The districts are sub¬ 
divided into sections, each in charge of a foreman. 

No person holding any office or position under 
this department is liable to military or jury duty. 

7. The Department of Bridges has as its 
head a Commissioner, whose salary is $7500 a 
year. He is charged with the construction, re¬ 
pair, maintenance and management of all 
bridges and tunnels within the territory of New 
York City, except such as are included in the 
public parks, or are within the control of a Presi¬ 
dent of a borough or of the Rapid Transit Com¬ 
mission. 

8. The Department of Parks has as its head 
a board consisting of three Commissioners, one of 
whom is designated as President by the Mayor. 
One Commissioner has jurisdiction in the boroughs 
of Manhattan and Richmond, one in the borough 
of the Bronx, and one in the boroughs of Brook¬ 
lyn and Queens. The annual salary of each Com¬ 
missioner is $5000. It is the duty of each Com¬ 
missioner to maintain the beauty and utility of all 
parks, squares, and public places within his juris¬ 
diction, and to take general charge of buildings 
situated within them. 


44 


A POLITICAL PRIMER OF 


9. The Department of Docks and Ferries has 
as its head a Commissioner, who must be a resident 
of New York City, and whose annual salary is 
$6000. He may appoint and at pleasure remove 
one deputy, whose salary is $4500 a year. The 
Commissioner has control of all the water-front 
wharf property, lands under water, wharves, piers, 
bulkheads and structures thereon situate, belong¬ 
ing to New York City. He has also charge of all 
ferries and ferry property belonging to the city. 

10. The Department of Public Charities, 
whose head is a Commissioner, with a principal 
office in Manhattan and a branch office in each of 
the other boroughs. His salary is $7500 a year. 
He may appoint a first and a second deputy, may 
define their duties, and may remove them at his 
discretion. He may also appoint in accordance 
with law such subordinate officers as may be neces¬ 
sary for the official performance of his duties as 
Commissioner. He has the management of all 
hospitals, asylums, almshouses and other institu¬ 
tions belonging to the city and devoted to the care 
of the feeble-minded, sick, infirm and destitute. 
He has also charge of the Potter’s Fields and 
other public burying-places for the poor, and of 
the annual distribution of public money appro¬ 
priated for the relief of the poor adult blind. 

11. The Department of Correction has as 
its head a Commissioner, whose salary is $7500 a 
year. He may appoint a deputy, with an annual 


NEW YORK CITY AND STATE 45 

salary of $4000, and may define his duties. He 
may also appoint and remove, in accordance with 
the law, such superintendents, wardens and other 
officers and assistants as may be necessary for the 
official performance of the duties of the depart¬ 
ment. His principal office must be located in 
Manhattan. 

He has the duty of managing all institutions 
for the care and custody of criminals and misde¬ 
meanants belonging to Hew York City, except the 
House of Refuge, the House of Detention of Wit¬ 
nesses, the Brooklyn Disciplinary Training 
School for Boys, incorporated societies for the 
prevention of cruelty to children, and such places 
for the detention of prisoners or persons charged 
with crime as are by law placed under the charge 
of some other department, board, or officer. 

12. The Department of Health has as its 
head a board consisting of one Commissioner of 
Health, the Police Commissioner, and the Health 
Officer of the Port. The Commissioner of Health 
is the President of the board, and is the executive 
officer of the Health Department. The board ap¬ 
points all officers and agents of the department. 

The authority of the Board of Health extends 
over the city and the waters adjacent thereto with¬ 
in the jurisdiction of the city, and also over the 
waters of the bay within quarantine limits. The 
duties of this board relate to the enforcement of 
laws concerning the preservation of human life 


46 


A POLITICAL PRIMER OF 


and the protection of health, and to the recording 
and preservation of the vital statistics of the city. 
Its chief office is in Manhattan, with branches 
in the other boroughs. 

The department includes two bureaus. The 
chief officer of the first is called the Sanitary 
Superintendent, and that of the second is called 
the Registrar of Records. The Board of Health 
has power to fit up, in each borough, such offices 
as may be required for the proper discharge of the 
duties of the department; to appoint assistants, 
clerks, and other agents; and is required to ap¬ 
point at least 50 sanitary inspectors, 30 of whom 
must be physicians of skill and experience. 

The annual salary of the Commissioner of 
Health is $7500; of the Sanitary Superintendent 
$5000; of the secretary $5000; of the assistant 
sanitary superintendents each $3500; of the Reg¬ 
istrar of Records $4000; of the assistant registrars 
of records each $3000; of the chief clerk $3000. 

The Board of Health has power to cause unsafe 
or unsanitary buildings to be vacated; may con¬ 
demn and remove buildings that are themselves 
unfit, or make adjacent buildings unfit for human 
habitation; may destroy tainted or dangerous 
food; may prescribe and enforce rules concerning 
the sanitation of lodging-houses, shops or dwell¬ 
ings; may be called upon to deal with sources of 
infection or disease, to remove dead bodies from 


NEW YORK CITY AND STATE 47 

the streets or from houses, or to abate any public 
nuisance. 

All births, marriages and deaths must be re¬ 
ported in writing to the Board of Health, by the 
next of kin or by some person present thereat. 

13. The Tenement-House Department has 
as its head a Commissioner, who holds office for 
six years, unless sooner removed. His salary is 
$7500 a year. He may appoint a first and a sec¬ 
ond deputy, and define their duties. Their sal¬ 
aries are $4000 a year. 

In this department there must be at least three 
bureaus and over each of these the Commissioner 
appoints a chief and a deputy-chief inspector, 
(i) The New Building Bureau, having not less 
than three plan-examiners and not less than six¬ 
teen examiners of light and ventilation, must 
file, record and examine plans and specifications 
of tenement houses altered or erected, and inspect 
all such houses in the course of construction or 
alteration. (2) The Inspection Bureau, hav¬ 
ing 190 inspectors, including such persons as may 
be detailed by the Police Commissioner for ser¬ 
vice in this department, must inspect all com¬ 
pleted tenement-houses and record all violations 
of the tenement-house laws and ordinances. (3) 
The Bureau of Records must keep records of 
every tenement-house in the city in a form pre¬ 
scribed by the Commissioner. These records 
show the number of arrests in each house, the 


48 


A POLITICAL PRIMER OF 


cases of sickness and whether they were of children 
or adults, the nature of the diseases, and the death 
rate. 

Before the construction or alteration of a tene¬ 
ment-house is commenced, the owner, or his agent, 
must submit to the Tenement-House Department 
a detailed and verified written statement of the 
specifications for the light and ventilation of said 
building, and a full and complete copy of the 
plans. These papers are filed in the office of the 
Tenement-House Department, and are deemed 
public records. The Commissioner must cause all 
such papers to be examined, and if approved a 
written certificate is issued to the person submit¬ 
ting them. It is unlawful to occupy as a human 
habitation any part of a tenement-house until 
the Tenement-House Commissioner and the Su¬ 
perintendent of Buildings in the borough shall 
have issued certificates that such building con¬ 
forms in all respects to the laws applying thereto. 

14. The Department of Education. The 
revised Charter establishes, after February 1, 
1902, a control of the public schools of the city by 
four main agencies, the Board of Education, the 
Board of Superintendents, the Local School 
Boards, and the Board of Examiners. 

The Board of Education consists of 46 mem¬ 
bers, 22 in Manhattan, 14 in Brooklyn, 4 in the 
Bronx, 4 in Queens, and 2 in Richmond. All are 
appointed by the Mayor, and serve without com- 


































NEW YORK CITY AND STATE 49 

pensation. Their terms are so arranged that 
about nine terms expire annually. In the month 
of November prior to the expiration of the respec¬ 
tive terms, the Mayor appoints successors to serve 
for five years, from the first day of the following 
January. A vacancy may at any time be filled 
for the unexpired term by an appointment by the 
Mayor. 

On the first Monday in February the board 
elects one of its members as its president for one 
year. The board possesses the powers and priv¬ 
ileges of a corporation. 

It appoints fifteen of its members to act as a 
Standing Executive Committee, to which its func¬ 
tions may be delegated for the care, government 
and management of the public school system of 
the city. The Chairman of the Executive Com¬ 
mittee is the President of the board, and each 
borough is represented in it by at least one mem¬ 
ber. Before the reports of other committees are 
presented to the Board of Education, they are re¬ 
ceived and acted upon by the Executive Commit¬ 
tee. 

The board has power to appoint a secretary, a 
superintendent of school buildings, a superintend¬ 
ent of school supplies, a city superintendent of 
schools, and a superintendent of lectures, all with 
terms of six years, and it may appoint auditors, 
clerks and other subordinates as it may deem 
necessary for its administrative duties, and as are 


50 


A POLITICAL PRIMER OF 


provided for by the proper appropriation, and 
it may fix the salaries of all under its supervision. 

The board has power to establish and conduct 
elementary schools, kindergartens, manual train¬ 
ing schools, trade schools, truant schools, evening 
schools, vacation schools, high schools, and train¬ 
ing schools for teachers; to maintain free lectures 
and courses of instruction for the people; to pro¬ 
vide special classes for the giving of instruction 
in the English language to persons who cannot 
readily use that language, and whose vocations 
prevent their attending other schools in the school 
system; to establish and conduct play-grounds in 
connection with the public schools; to change the 
grade of schools, to establish new schools, or to 
discontinue or consolidate any schools of the sys¬ 
tem; and to approve text books, apparatus or 
other scholastic supplies recommended by the 
Board of Superintendents. It has also power to 
adopt by-laws fixing the salaries of all members 
of the superintending and the teaching staff, and 
these by-laws must establish a uniform schedule 
of salaries throughout the boroughs, the salaries 
being regulated by merit, grade of class taught, 
length of service, experience in teaching, or by 
a combination of these considerations. 

(2) The Board of Superintendents is made up 
of the city superintendent, as chairman, and eight 
associate superintendents. They are all appointed 
by the Board of Education, by a majority vote of 


NEW YORK CITY AND STATE 51 

its members, and have terms of six years. Their 
duties are prescribed by by-laws of the Board of 
Education. The board of superintendents nomi¬ 
nates 23 district superintendents for appointment 
by the Board of Education. Each district super¬ 
intendent has a term of six years, and has charge 
of two school-districts. It is their duty to visit 
every school in the district to which they are re¬ 
spectively assigned, and to report the results of 
their inspections and examinations to the city 
superintendent at such times and concerning such 
matters and in such form as he shall require. 

(3) The Local School Boards each consist of 
seven members, a member of the Board of Educa¬ 
tion residing in the borough, designated by the 
President of the Board of Education, to sit as a 
member of the local board, with power to vote 
therein, but ineligible for election as its chairman 
or its secretary; a district superintendent assigned 
to duty in that school-district by the city superin¬ 
tendent, and ineligible to election either as chair¬ 
man or secretary of the local board, with the right 
to debate but not to vote therein; and live persons, 
appointed by the President of the borough, from 
among residents of that school-district, consenting 
to serve without pay. The efficiency of the local 
board is of utmost importance in the school system. 

The city is to be always divided into 46 school- 
districts, of which 22 are in Manhattan, 14 in 
Brooklyn, 4 in the Bronx, 4 in Queens, and 2 in 


52 


A POLITICAL PRIMEIl OF 


Richmond. These districts must be compact in 
form, and each must lie wholly within one borough. 
They are to be so laid out in each borough as there 
to contain approximately equal numbers of public 
school children. The Board of Education may 
change the boundaries of the school-districts once 
in every five years. 

The number of persons of school age, from 5 
to 20 years, in the City of New York, at the tak¬ 
ing of the U. S. census in June, 1900, was 1,028,- 
069, and more than half a million were then at¬ 
tending the public schools. Eighteen per cent of 
these persons were of foreign birth. 

The local boards must meet at least once a 
month, except in July and August, In their 
respective districts they must visit at least once in 
every quarter all the schools in the district and 
inspect the same in respect to punctual and regu¬ 
lar attendance of the pupils and teachers; the 
number and fidelity of the teachers; the studies, 
progress, order and discipline of the pupils; the 
cleanliness, safety, warming, ventilation and com¬ 
fort of the school premises; and the observance 
of the provisions of the school laws in respect to 
the teaching of sectarian doctrines or the use of 
sectarian books, and must call attention of the 
Board of Education, without delay, to every mat¬ 
ter requiring official action. 

(4) The Board of Examiners consists of the city 
superintendent, and four persons nominated by 


NEW YORK CITY AND STATE 53 

the city superintendent and appointed by the 
Board of Education, with a term of six years. 

The Board of Examiners holds such examina¬ 
tions as are prescribed by the city superintendent, 
and prepares eligible lists, open to the inspection 
of members of the Board of Education, the associ¬ 
ate and the district superintendents, and the local 
school boards. Licenses to teach are issued for a 
period of one year, and in the name of the city 
superintendent. At the close of three years of con¬ 
tinuous and successful service the city superin¬ 
tendent may make the license permanent. 

All members of the teaching staff are nomi¬ 
nated by the board of superintendents, from among 
those on the eligible lists, and are appointed by 
the Board of Education. Such nominations and 
appointments are made for the school-districts 
respectively, and the members of the teaching staff 
are assigned to duty in such schools and to such 
positions in such schools as the Board of Superin¬ 
tendents shall determine. 

An amount equivalent to not less than four 
mills on every dollar of assessed valuation of real 
and personal property liable to taxation in the 
City of New York is annually appropriated by 
the Board of Estimate and Apportionment to 
the general school fund, and is administered by the 
Board of Education for educational purposes. 

15. The Department of Taxes and Assess¬ 
ments has at its head a President, who is so 


54 


A POLITICAL PRIMER OF 


designated in his appointment, and four other 
Commissioners, at least one of whom must be 
learned in law. The salary is $8000 for the Presi¬ 
dent, and $7000 for each of the other members of 
the board. The board may appoint deputy Tax 
Commissioners to a number not exceeding 40, who 
shall perform such duties as the board may pre¬ 
scribe, and who shall hold their office during the 
pleasure of the board. 

The officers of this department, through the 
deputies, assess all the taxable property in the 
several districts of the city, giving the county, 
ward, street, and map number of real estate, with 
the name of the owner and occupant, with infor¬ 
mation relating to personal property as required. 
The deputies commence to assess real and per¬ 
sonal estate on the first Tuesday in September of 
every year. This department has an office in 
each borough, and each office is in law a part of 
the main office located in the borough of Man¬ 
hattan. 

How can one get detailed information in regard 
to these various departments ? 

Send to each for its last printed annual report. 

Who determines the amount that may be expended 
annually by each administrative department? 

The Board of Estimate and Apportionment, 
whose members are the Mayor, the Comptroller, 
the President of the Board of Aldermen, and the 


NEW YORK CITY AND STATE 55 

five borough Presidents. The resolutions of the 
board are adopted by a majority of the whole num¬ 
ber of sixteen votes authorized to be cast by said 
board. The Mayor, the Comptroller, and the 
President of the Board of Aldermen, are each en¬ 
titled to cast three votes: the Presidents of the 
boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn are each en¬ 
titled to cast two votes; and the Presidents of the 
boroughs of the Bronx, of Queens and of Rich¬ 
mond are each entitled to cast one vote. 

A quorum of the board consists of a sufficient 
number of members thereof to cast nine votes, 
with at least two members present who are each 
authorized to cast three votes; but no resolution 
nor amendment of a resolution can be passed at 
the same meeting at which it is first presented, un¬ 
less twelve votes are there cast for its adoption. 

The heads of departments are required to an¬ 
nually send to the Board of Estimate and Ap¬ 
portionment an estimate of the amount required 
in their respective departments, including a state¬ 
ment of salaries, and a detailed specification of 
objects. From the information so received the 
board, during the month of October, makes a 
budget of the amount estimated to be required to 
pay the expenses of conducting the public busi¬ 
ness of the city. The budget is then submitted 
to the Board of Aldermen, a special meeting being 
called by the Mayor for the consideration of the 
budget, which is at the same time published in the 


56 


A POLITICAL PRIMER OF 


City Record. The consideration of the budget 
by the Board of Aldermen must continue from 
day to day, but if no action is taken thereupon 
within twenty days, the budget, as submitted by 
the Board of Estimate and Apportionment, is 
deemed to be finally adopted. The budget for 
the ensuing year is thus completed before Decem¬ 
ber 25. 

The Board of Aldermen may, subject to the veto 
power of the Mayor, reduce the amounts fixed by 
the Board of Estimate and Apportionment, ex¬ 
cept such amounts as are fixed by law, and except 
the amounts required for the payment of State 
taxes and of interest and principal on the city debt, 
but the Board of Aldermen may not increase such 
amounts nor vary the terms and conditions thereof, 
nor insert new items. 

Who fixes the salaries paid from the city treasury ? 

The Board of Estimate and Apportionment 
makes recommendations and the Board of Aider- 
men fixes the salary of every officer or person 
whose compensation is paid out of the city treas¬ 
ury, other than day laborers, teachers, examiners 
and members of the supervising staff in the De¬ 
partment of Education, and except that no change 
can be made in the salary of any elected officer 
nor of any head of a department during his tenure 
of office. Salaries need not be uniform through¬ 
out the several boroughs. The Board of Alder- 


NEW YORK CITY AND STATE 57 

men may reduce, but may not increase any salary 
recommended by the Board of Estimate and Ap¬ 
portionment. The action of the Board of Aider- 
men on reducing any salary so recommended is sub¬ 
ject to the veto power of the Mayor. 

How are the ordinary expenses of the city paid? 

By direct taxation of real and personal prop¬ 
erty, the city’s share of the liquor tax, and the 
revenue from city property. Those who have 
neither real nor personal property pay a portion of 
the expenses of the city government indirectly, 
through the increased cost of living. 

How are the extraordinary outlays of the city 
paid ? 

By the sale of city bonds, which involve the 
city in debt. To provide for the interest on, and 
the liquidation of, such debt the sinking fund is 
maintained, being made up chiefly from rental of 
city property, especially its docks, from the sale of 
public lands or franchises, and the amount of as¬ 
sessments made for local improvements. 

Who are the Commissioners of the Sinking Fund? 

The Mayor, the Comptroller, the Chamberlain, 
the President of the Board of Aldermen, and the 
Chairman of the Finance Committee of the Board 
of Aldermen. 

Where can one learn the names and addresses of 
all officials in New Yorlc City ? 


58 


A POLITICAL PRIMER OF 


In the City Record, which may be obtained in 
the basement of the City Hall. 

What provision is made for securing those who are 
most fit, among the applicants for employment 
in the service of New York City? 

The Mayor appoints three or more Municipal 
Civil Service Commissioners, who serve without 
compensation and who appoint a Board of Examin¬ 
ers, consisting of citizens who are not public 
officers. This board considers the age, the physi¬ 
cal ability and the character of the applicant, and 
conducts a competitive examination of the differ¬ 
ent persons applying for the particular position to 
which an appointment is to be made, in order to 
ascertain who possesses the requsite knowledge and 
ability to discharge the duties of that situation. 

Mention some of the municipal departments and 
offices that come under the jurisdiction of the 
Civil Service rules. 

Commissioner of Accounts, Armory Board, 
Board of Assessors, Aqueduct Commission, De¬ 
partment of Bridges, Brooklyn Disciplinary Train¬ 
ing School, Brooklyn Public Library, Change of 
Grade Commission, Department of Public Chari¬ 
ties, Supervisor of the City Record, City Clerk, 
Civil Service Commission, College of the City of 
New York, Normal College, Department of Cor¬ 
rection, Coroners, City Court, City Magistrates’ 
Court, Court of General Sessions, Municipal 


NEW YORK CITY AND STATE 59 

Court, Court of Special Sessions, Docks and 
Ferries Department, East River Bridge Commis¬ 
sion, Education Department, Estimate and Appor¬ 
tionment Board, Finance Department, Fire De¬ 
partment, Health Department, Commissioner of 
Jurors, Law Department, Mayor’s Office, Park De¬ 
partment, Plumbers’ Examining Board, Police 
Department, President of Borough, Rapid Transit 
Commission, Sinking Fund Commission, Street 
Cleaning Department, Tenement-House Depart¬ 
ment, Taxes and Assessments Department, Water 
Supply Department. 

What is the highest court belonging to this State ? 

The court for the trial of impeachments. It is 
only called into existence after the Assembly has 
ordered the impeachment of a civil, military, or 
judicial officer of the State by a vote of a majority 
of all the members elected. The court consists 
of the President of the Senate, the Senators or 
a majority of them, and the judges of the Court of 
Appeals or a majority of them. 

When the Governor or Lieutenant-Governor is 
impeached, the Lieutenant-Governor does not act. 
The judgment of the court can only be for acquit¬ 
tal, or for the removal of the person impeached 
from office, or for such removal with the additional 
penalty of disqualification from holding any office 
under the State. 


60 


A POLITICAL PRIMER OF 


What is the court next to the highest in the State f 

The court of highest appellate jurisdiction in 
this State is the Court of Appeals. It is composed 
of a Chief Justice and six Associate Justices, 
all of whom are chosen by the voters of the entire 
State. 

Five members form a quorum in the court, and 
four must concur to render a decision. 

The term of office is fourteen years, but the 
judges are compelled to retire on the last day of 
December next after reaching seventy years of 
age. This court sits at Albany, and has a clerk, 
a deputy clerk, and a reporter. The term of any 
judge expires December 31, his successor having 
been elected the preceding November. 

This court has exclusive jurisdiction in the re¬ 
view of civil actions and criminal cases appealed 
from the Appellate Division of the Supreme 
Court. The Appellate Division of the Supreme 
Court may allow an appeal to the Court of Ap¬ 
peals upon any question which in its opinion ought 
to be passed upon by this court. This court may 
finally determine actions, and may give orders 
granting new trials, but it is limited to a review 
of questions of law, except where the judgment 
in a criminal case is for death, in which case the 
court can review the facts as well as the law. 

Describe the Supreme Court of this State . 

It is the highest court of original jurisdiction, 


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NEW YORK CITY AND STATE 


61 


and is composed of 7G justices. They are elected 
at the general election, and paid from the State 
Treasury. 

This court has general jurisdiction in law and 
equity. It is divided into three branches called 
the Appellate Division, the Trial Term, and the 
Special Term. 

For the administration of justice, through the 
Supreme Court, the State is divided into eight 
Judicial Districts, and Trial and Special Terms 
are appointed in each District. The divisions are 
by counties, and the Districts of the State are 
numbered as follows:— 

1. New York county, with 22 justices. 

2. Richmond, Suffolk, Nassau, Queens, Kings, 
Westchester, Rockland, Dutchess, and Putnam 
counties, with 12 justices. 

3. Columbia, Rensselaer, Sullivan, Ulster, Al¬ 
bany, Greene, and Schoharie counties, with 6 
justices. 

4. Warren, Saratoga, St. Lawrence, Washing¬ 
ton, Essex, Franklin, Clinton, Montgomery, Ham¬ 
ilton, Fulton, and Schenectady counties, with 6 
justices. 

5. Onondaga, Jefferson, Oneida, Oswego, Herki¬ 
mer, and Lewis counties, with 7 justices. 

6. Otsego, Delaware, Madison, Chenango, 
Tompkins, Broome, Chemung, Schuyler, Tioga, 
and Cortland counties, with 6 justices. 


62 


A POLITICAL PRIMER OF 


7. Livingston, Ontario, Wayne, Yates, Steuben, 
Seneca, Cayuga, and Monroe counties, with 7 
justices. 

8. Erie, Chautauqua, Cattaraugus, Orleans, 
Niagara, Genesee, Allegany, and Wyoming coun¬ 
ties, with 10 justices. 

Justices are elected by the voters of their re¬ 
spective districts. Although elected in districts, 
the jurisdiction of each justice extends to every 
part of the State. The term of office is 14 years 
from the first day of January next after their 
election, but no justice can hold office longer than 
until the last day of December after he shall be 
seventy years of age. The salary of justices is 
$6000, beside which they receive an annual allow¬ 
ance of $1200 for traveling expenses, except in 
the first district. The justices of the second dis¬ 
trict, except those residing in Kings county, eacli 
receive an additional allowance of $2500. In New 
York and Kings counties the justices each receive 
an additional allowance, which is paid by the re¬ 
spective counties. 

2. The Trial Term is held by one of the judges 
of the Supreme Court, together with a jury, and 
is for the trial of cases usually involving issues 
of fact. This branch of the Supreme Court has 
the broadest possible criminal jurisdiction, name¬ 
ly, to try all crimes and indictments, except those 
minor crimes and misdemeanors that must, in the 
first instance, be heard in the lower courts. An 


NEW YORK CITY AND STATE 63 

appeal from this court lies to the Appellate Di¬ 
vision, and from thence to the Court of Appeals. 

3. The Special Term is held by one of the 
judges of the Supreme Court for the trial of 
cases without a jury, and for argument of issues 
of law. The cases are usually equity cases. 

The State is also divided into four Judicial 
Departments, and an Appellate Division of the 
Supreme Court sits in each department. 

The First Judicial Department consists of New 
York County, and the Appellate Division sits in 
Manhattan with seven justices. 

The Second Judicial Department consists of the 
Second Judicial District, and the Appellate Divi¬ 
sion sits in Brooklyn with five justices. 

The Third Judicial Department consists of the 
Third, Fourth and Sixth Judicial Districts, and 
the Appellate Division sits in Albany, with five 
justices. 

The Fourth Judicial Department consists of the 
Fifth, Seventh and Eighth Judicial Districts, and 
the Appellate Division sits in Rochester, with five 
justices. 

From all the justices elected to the Supreme 
Court, the Governor designates those who com¬ 
pose the Appellate Division in each department, 
and he also designates the presiding justice there¬ 
of, and such justice acts during his term of office, 
and is a resident of his department. 

From time to time, as the terms of such desig- 


64 


A POLITICAL PRIMER OF 


nations expire, or when vacancies occur, he makes 
new designations, and he may make temporary 
designations in case of the absence or disability 
of any justice. A majority of the justices in any 
Appellate Division must be residents of the de¬ 
partment. 

In each department four justices constitute a 
quorum, and the concurrence of three is necessary 
to a decision. No more than five justices sit in 
any case. 

The justices of the Appellate Division appoint 
the times and places and designate the justices 
by whom the various Trial and Special Terms 
shall be held. 

The Appellate Division hears appeals from 
judgments and orders given at the Trial and 
Special Terms of the Supreme Court, or by the 
Surrogates’ Court, the County Courts, the City 
Court, and the General Sessions, the latter two 
being courts of New York County. 

The County Clerks of the several counties are 
clerks of the Supreme Court in their respective 
counties and the seals of such County Clerks are 
the seals of the court. 

How can one ascertain the place and the time of 

holding courts in any of the Judicial Districts? 

The names of all the judges of the Supreme 
Court may be found in the latest “Legislative 
Manual” and the terms are therein generally indi- 


NEW YORK CITY AND STATE 65 

cated. The Clerk of the County Court can give 
more detailed information. 

What is the Court of Claims? 

It is composed of three judges, who are ap¬ 
pointed by the Governor, by and with the advice 
and consent of the Senate, for a term of six years, 
with an annual salary of $5000, to hold four ses¬ 
sions each year at the Capitol in Albany, for the 
hearing of private claims against the State. The 
Attorney-General represents the State before the 
court in all proceedings relating to claims. 

What court is next below the Supreme Court ? 

The County Court, which has power to try 
all criminal cases except where the penalty in¬ 
volved is death, and has jurisdiction in most of the 
actions to recover money where the sum does not 
exceed $2000. The County Judge is an officer 
of his county, as is the Surrogate. A County 
Court is held at the county seat at such times as 
the County Judge designates. 

An appeal from a County Court is to the Ap¬ 
pellate Division of the Supreme Court. 

In New York County the County Court that 
tries civil cases is called the City Court. It is held 
in six parts, four parts being trial terms, one a 
special term, and one a general term. Its seven 
judges are elected by the voters of the county. 
They hold office for ten years, and are paid from 
the County Treasury; salary $10,000. The City 


66 


A POLITICAL PRIMER OF 


Court has jurisdiction over actions demanding 
judgment for a sum of money only, or to recover 
chattels or foreclosure liens within the county; 
but no judgment can be rendered for more than 
$2000 exclusive of interest and costs, except for 
breach of promise of marriage, which may be re¬ 
covered in any amount. No case can be carried 
up to the Appellate Term of the Supreme Court 
until it shall have been reviewed in the General 
Term of the City Court, which sits on the last 
Monday in every month, and is composed of three 
of the judges, two of whom must concur in order 
to render a decision. 

In other counties the County Court tries criminal 
cases; how are these cases attended to in New 
York County? 

In consequence of the great amount of work for 
the courts of New York County, it has two courts 
to take the business of the County Court in other 
counties, the so-called City Court taking civil cases 
only, and the Court of General Sessions taking 
mainly criminal cases. 

In colonial times this court was called “The 
General Quarter Sessions.” 

The Court of General Sessions in the county 
of New York has jurisdiction to try, determine, and 
punish according to the law all crimes cognizable 
within the county, including crimes punishable 
with death or imprisonment in State prison for 


NEW YORK CITY AND STATE 67 

life; to exercise within the county the powers con¬ 
ferred by the Code on the County Courts in the 
other counties of the State; to try and determine 
any indictment found in the Supreme Court in 
the county which has been sent by order of that 
court to the Court of General Sessions therein. 

The Court of General Sessions in New York 
County is divided into four parts, all of which are 
Trial Terms. Any one of the four may be held 
by the Recorder of the county, or the City Judge, 
or one of the three judges of the Court of General 
Sessions. A justice of the Supreme Court may 
also hold it. Each part may be held each month, 
commencing on the first Monday and continuing 
60 long as, in the opinion of the judge sitting and 
of the District Attorney, the public interest re¬ 
quires; but one part only is required to be held 
in July and August, and two parts during the 
rest of the year. 

Its five judges are elected by the voters of the 
county. The term of office is 14 years, and the 
salary $12,000. The title of one of the judges 
“The Recorder of the County and City of New 
York,” has been in use from colonial days. The 
title “City Judge” was used for the first associate 
elected to assist the Recorder, and it has since been 
retained. Three other judgeships have since been 
created. 

The court appoints a clerk, not more than eight 
deputy clerks, three interpreters, four stenogra- 


68 


A POLITICAL PRIMER OP 


phers, four record clerks, and four court atten¬ 
dants. 

A grand jury must be drawn for the Court of 
General Sessions in the county of New York, and 
the county of Kings, and for every other County 
Court when specially ordered by the court or by 
a Board of Supervisors. An indictment cannot be 
found without the concurrence of at least twelve 
grand jurors. 

What is an indictment ? 

An accusation in writing presented by a grand 
jury to a competent court, charging a person with 
a crime. 

Is there a Surrogate's Court in New York County t 
There are two Surrogates, whose terms of office 
are fourteen years and whose salaries are $15,000. 
Their courts are held at the county court house. 
The jurisdiction of the Surrogate’s Court is over 
the estates of decedents. It probates wills, grants 
letters of administration, appoints guardians, ex¬ 
amines and passes the accounts of executors, ad¬ 
ministrators, and guardians, and generally admin¬ 
isters justice in all matters relating to these 
estates. An appeal from its decision is to the Ap¬ 
pellate Division of the Supreme Court. 

What is a Court of Record? 

One in which a record of the proceedings of the 
court is kept in detail by an official clerk, and has 


NEW YORK CITY AND STATE 69 

a seal affixed; the proceedings are “inrolled for 
perpetual memory.” 

How are trial jurors secured for service in courts 

of record? 

There is a Commissioner of Jurors in every 
county having a population of one million or more. 

The panel of petit or trial jurors is annually 
made up for one year, in each county, by the Com¬ 
missioner of Jurors, who is appointed by the Ap¬ 
pellate Division of the Supreme Court. He may 
summon any citizen to serve upon a jury, or to ap¬ 
pear and show cause why he should not be liable to 
jury duty. The names of all citizens subject to 
this duty are written upon slips of paper, and are 
drawn by lot, according to requirement of the 
courts of record. The drawing of any required 
number of jurors takes place in the office of the 
Commissioner of Jurors, in the presence of said 
Commissioner or his deputy, the County Clerk or 
his deputy, and a judge of a court of record. In 
New York County at least one hundred jurors are 
drawn for every trial term of each court of record, 
and there may be twelve trial terms in a year. In 
the Jacob Sharp case 2,100 jurors were examined 
under oath as to their qualifications and four weeks 
were consumed before a jury of twelve men, accept¬ 
able to both the District Attorney and the attorney 
for the defence, was sworn to try the issue. 



70 


A POLITICAL PRIMER OF 


What is a grand jury ? 

The grand jury is an appendage or adjunct of 
the court, and consists of not less than sixteen nor 
more than twenty-three persons. The presence of 
at least sixteen is necessary to the transaction of 
any business. 

In the county of New York from 600 to 1,000 
grand jurors are selected annually within the 
fifteen days succeeding the last Monday in Novem¬ 
ber, to serve at different terms of the Supreme 
Court for the trial of criminal actions, and at the 
Court of General Sessions. They are selected from 
among those who are on the panel of trial jurors 
by a board consisting of (a) the presiding judge 
of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court; 
(b) an associate justice of the said Appellate Di¬ 
vision, designated by the resident members of the 
Division; (c) the Recorder of the County; (d) a 
judge of the Court of General Sessions, designated 
by the judges of the Court of General Sessions; 
and ( e) the Mayor. 

These grand jurors are men of character and 
standing; are exempt from service as trial jurors 
in the State courts, though they may be called to 
jury duty in a Federal court; and they are paid 
two dollars per day. During the year a grand 
juror usually serves one entire term of the court, 
or about twenty days. They must inquire into the 
condition and management of public prisons and 


NEW YORK CITY AND STATE 71 

into tho wilful misconduct in office of all public 
officers in the county, and must investigate alle¬ 
gations against persons charged with felonies or 
the misdemeanor of libel, and held by a city mag¬ 
istrate, and must either order an indictment or dis¬ 
miss the case. 

What courts determine minor crimes in the city of 

New York? 

The City Magistrates' Courts and the Courts 
of Special Sessions. For the purpose of adminis¬ 
tration the city is divided, the boroughs of Manhat¬ 
tan and the Bronx forming the First Division, and 
the boroughs of Brooklyn, Queens and Richmond 
the Second Division. In each division there is a 
board of City Magistrates, composed of the magis¬ 
trates belonging to that division. Every magistrate 
must be a resident and elector of the division of the 
city for which he is appointed, and must devote his 
whole time to the duties of his office. In the First 
Division there are twelve magistrates with salaries 
of $7000. In this division the successors of those 
now in office are to be appointed by the Mayor, for 
a term of ten years, commencing on the first day of 
January next succeeding their appointment. 

In the Second Division there are fifteen magis¬ 
trates, ten for Brooklyn, three for Queens, and 
two for Richmond. The salary for those in Brook¬ 
lyn is $6000, and for those in Queens and Rich¬ 
mond $5000. In this division vacancies occurring 


n 


A POLITICAL PRIMER OF 


through the expiration of terms after 1901, are 
to be filled by an election for six years. 

In each division the Board of City Magistrates 
determines the times and places at which the 
courts shall be held within the division, and as¬ 
signs the magistrates to their respective courts. 
One court isdield in the Bronx, six are in Manhat¬ 
tan, eight in Brooklyn, three in Queens and two in 
Richmond. In these courts all the trials are be¬ 
fore one magistrate and are without a jury. The 
prisoner may testify and may at his own expense 
have an attorney. 

There are prisons in juxtaposition with each of 
these courts and to these prisons the arrested per¬ 
son is taken from any police station of the district 
in which the court is situated, and from the prison 
is handed over to the officers in the court-room. 
After trial the prisoner is again taken in charge by 
the police and delivered at the place designated 
by the magistrate. The magistrate may fine, im¬ 
prison or send to the workhouse. 

In each of the two divisions there is also a 
Court of Special Sessions, each with five jus¬ 
tices. The court must be held by three justices, 
and two must concur in order to render a decision. 
The salary of justices in the First Division is 
$9000, and in the Second Division $6000. The 
term of office is ten years from the first of January 
after appointment by the Mayor. These justices 
are also called magistrates. The court must sit 


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MIIJSTCIPAL court districts 

OF THE BOROUGH OF MANHATTAN 
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The large figure indicates the number of the Municipal 
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the numbers of the wards within that Municipal Court 
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NEW YORK CITY AND STATE 73 

in every month of the year in the First Division; 
and in the Second Division must sit every month 
of the year in each of the boroughs of the division. 
Misdemeanors must be tried in the county where 
they are charged to have been committed. There 
is no jury. 

It is the duty of the District Attorney of each of 
the counties of New York, Kings, Queens and 
Richmond to attend in person or by an assistant at 
all sessions of this court within his county. He 
prosecutes in the name of the people, calling 

each case “the people’s cases versus” -. 

Appeals from the decision of the Court of Special 
Sessions are, in the First Division, to the Court of 
General Sessions, and in the Second Division to 
the County Court. The location of all these courts 
may be learned from the City Record. 

In all the City Magistrates’ Courts the magis¬ 
trates appoint their subordinates, other than the 
marshals, who are all appointed by the Mayor for 
a term of six years. 

What is the lowest Civil Court in the City of New 
York ? 

The Municipal Court, held in a Municipal Dis¬ 
trict. 

Describe the Municipal Courts, as established in 
1898 by the City Charter. 

In each of the 23 districts into which the whole 
city is divided there is a Municipal Court, having 



74 


A POLITICAL PRIMER OF 


jurisdiction in cases involving $500 or less. The 
justices, chosen by the electors in their respective 
districts, must have had five years 7 experience in 
law practice, and must not practice law during 
the term of office, which is ten years. The salary 
of these justices is $6000 a year, except in Queens 
and Richmond, where it is $5000. There are 11 - 
Municipal Court Districts in Manhattan, five in 
Brooklyn, two in the Bronx, three in Queens, and 
two in Richmond. The lines of division follow 
in the main the ward boundaries. 

The justices appoint their own subordinates. 
An appeal from a judgment rendered in the Muni¬ 
cipal Court may be taken to the Supreme Court. 

The City Magistrates’ Courts on the criminal 
side, and the Municipal District Courts on the 
civil side, are the courts in which poor persons are 
brought into relation with the administration of 
justice. It is in these courts that the newly- 
arrived immigrant gains his first conception of 
American laws. 

While the cases tried in them are petty, they 
are very numerous, and these courts are of im¬ 
mense practical importance in the lives of the 
people. 

Are the people of New York City governed by 
other laws and ordinances than those made by 
the State Legislature and the Municipal As- 
sembly? 


NEW YORK CITY AND STATE 75 

They are also subject to Federal laws made at 
Washington, the capital of the United States. 

Who makes the Federal laws? 

They are made in the two Houses of Congress, 
the Senate and House of Representatives. A new 
Congress begins on the 4th of March in every odd- 
numbered year. 

The Senate is composed of 90 Senators, two 
from each of the 45 States of the Union, elected 
for six years by the State Legislature of their re¬ 
spective States. One-third of the Senators are 
chosen every two years. 

The House of Representatives is composed 
of 386 members, elected by the voters of the 45 
States, for two years, on the basis of one Repre¬ 
sentative for about 195,000 of the population at 
the present time. Every State has at least one 
Representative. The apportionment of Represent¬ 
atives, based upon the enumeration of the Twelfth 
Census, as provided by the act of Congress, ap¬ 
proved January 16, 1901, is shown by States in 
the table on page 101. 

How many Representatives are elected in New 

York State ? 

Thirty-seven: one from each of the Congres¬ 
sional Districts into which the State is divided. 
The United States census is taken once in ten 
years, on the years ending in a cipher, and there¬ 
after each State has allotted to it its quota of Rep- 


76 


A POLITICAL PRIMER OF 


resentatives according to its population. The con¬ 
gressional districts are then laid out by the Legis¬ 
lature in such a way as to divide the population 
equally as may be among the congressional dis¬ 
tricts, but no county is divided unless to make 
two or more congressional districts within the 
county. The districts are known by number. 

Once in two years, in the even-numbered years, 
the electors within every congressional district, 
at the general election, elect a Representative in 
Congress from their district. The area of a con¬ 
gressional district depends on the density of its 
population; if the population be sparse it includes 
several counties; but counties containing large 
cities embrace several congressional districts, as 
does New York county. 

What persons are eligible to Congress? 

A Senator must be at least 30 years old, and 
must have been nine years a citizen of the United 
States. A Representative must be at least 25 
years old, and must have been seven years a citizen 
of the United States. Each must be, when elected, 
an inhabitant of the State represented. 

• /rtf**" *“*• 

Who pays the salaries to Congressmen? 

Congressmen are paid from the treasury of the 
United States $5000 a year to each, and an allow¬ 
ance of 20 cents a mile for traveling expenses, and 
$125 for stationery. 


NEW YORK CITY AND STATE 77 

The ordinary outlay of the Government is from 
four to six hundred millions a year, obtained 
mainly from the tariff on imported goods and the 
internal revenue taxes. 

How can one learn the names of Congressmen 

from New York? 

A printed list of all members may be obtained 
from the Secretary of State at Washington. The 
full list is usually printed also in all the large 
almanacs for the current year. 

What other persons are elected in this State? 

Thirty-nine of the 476 Electors who elect the 
President and Vice-President of the United States. 

Describe the method of electing a President. 

The voters do not cast their votes directly for 
a President, but they elect members of an Electoral 
College that elects the President. Each State 
chooses a number of Electors equal to the whole 
number of representatives it sends to both Houses 
of Congress, and all the Electors taken together 
are called the Electoral College/ No Representa¬ 
tive nor any person holding an office of trust or 
profit under the United States can be made an 
Elector. The Electors are chosen the same day 
in all the States, the first Tuesday after the first 
Monday in November, at a general election where 
every voter of the State may vote for all the 
Electors that his State is entitled to elect. Each 


78 


A POLITICAL PRIMER OF 


party has on its ticket the full number of 
Electors permitted to the State, and the party 
that polls the largest number of votes elects the 
Electors for that State. The Electors chosen meet 
at the capitals of their respective States on the 
second Monday in the following January, and cast 
their votes for the President and the Vice-Presi¬ 
dent, one of whom shall not be an inhabitant of 
the same State with themselves. They cast sepa¬ 
rate ballots for President and Vice-President, and 
make distinct lists of all persons voted for, show¬ 
ing the number of votes for each. These lists 
they sign and certify in triplicate and securely seal. 
One copy is transmitted by mail, and one is sent 
by special messenger to Washington, to the Presi¬ 
dent of the Senate. The other copy is placed in 
the care of the District Judge at the State capital. 

The Electors, and the messengers who carry the 
sealed lists to Washington from each State, re¬ 
ceive no compensation for their services, but their 
expenses are paid by their respective States. 

On the second Wednesday in February the sealed 
lists are opened in the presence of both Houses 
of Congress in joint session at Washington. The 
votes of the several States, taken in alphabetical 
order, are read by tellers, and the result is stated 
by the presiding officer, the Vice-President. A 
majority of all the votes cast is necessary for an 
election. 


NEW YORK CITY AND STATE 79 

What happens when there is a tie in the votes of 
the members of the Electoral College , or when 
no one person receives a majority of all the 
votes therein cast f 

In case of a tie in the vote for President, when 
the votes of the Electors are counted in Washing¬ 
ton, the House of Representatives immediately 
ballots upon the two nominees and elects one by 
majority vote. 

If no nominee have a majority vote, and there 
be not a tie, then the three names standing highest 
are balloted upon by the House, until a majority 
vote is given for one nominee. In balloting the 
votes are taken by States, and each State casts 
only one vote. 

The Vice-President is elected in the same man¬ 
ner as is the President, except that in case of 
failure of the Electoral votes to elect a Vice-Presi¬ 
dent, the Senate ballots upon the two nominees 
standing highest on the list, and elects one by a 
majority vote. 

When is the President inaugurated? 

The President receives no formal notice of his 
election. He is inaugurated at noon on the fourth 
day of the following March. 

May foreigners vote at elections in New York 
State ? 

Only after being naturalized. An alien seeking 
naturalization in the United States must, at least 


80 


A POLITICAL PRIMER OF 


\ 

two years before his admission to citizenship, de¬ 
clare on oath before a Circuit or District Court of 
the United States, or a District or Supreme Court 
of the Territories, or a court of record of any ot 
the States having common-law jurisdiction and a 
seal and a clerk, that it is his intention to become 
a citizen of the United States, and to renounce 
forever all allegiance to any foreign State or ruler, 
and particularly to the one of which he is at the 
time a citizen or subject. 

At the time of his application for admission to 
citizenship he must also declare on oath before 
some one of the courts above specified that he will 
support the Constitution of the United States and 
that he absolutely and entirely renounces and 
abjures all allegiance and fidelity to every foreign 
prince, potentate, State, or sovereignty, and par¬ 
ticularly, by name, to the prince, potentate, State 
or sovereignty of which he was before a citizen or 
subject. Moreover, before his naturalization pa¬ 
pers are given to him, it must appear to the satis¬ 
faction of the court to which the alien has applied 
for final admission that he has resided continu¬ 
ously within the United States for at least five 
years, and in the State or Territory where the 
court is held at least one year, and that during 
that time “he has behaved as a man of good moral 
character, attached to the principles of the Con¬ 
stitution of the United States, and well disposed 


NEW YORK CITY AND STATE 


81 


to the good order and happiness of the same.” 
Naturalization of Chinamen is prohibited. 

May a foreign nobleman retain his title after 
naturalization in this country ? 

If the applicant bears any hereditary title or be¬ 
longs to any order of nobility, he must make an 
express renunciation at the time of his applica¬ 
tion. 

If a foreigner had served as a soldier in this 
country, could he become a naturalized citizen 
with less than five years’ residence here ? 

Any alien twenty-one years old and upward 
who has been honorably discharged from the 
armies of the United States may become a citizen 
on his petition without any previous declaration 
of intention, provided he has resided in the United 
States at least one year previous to his application 
and is of good moral character. 

What is the earliest age at which an alien may 
become naturalized, in case his father was not 
naturalized ? 

Any alien who has resided in the United States 
three years next preceding his twenty-first birth¬ 
day, and has continued to reside therein up to 
the time he makes application to be admitted a 
citizen, may, after he arrives at the age of twenty- 
one, and after he has resided five years within the 
United States, including the three years of his 


82 


A POLITICAL PRIMER OF 


minority, be admitted a citizen; but he must make 
a declaration on oath and prove to the satisfaction 
of the court that for the two years next pre¬ 
ceding it has been his intention to become a citi¬ 
zen. 

What effect upon minor children has the naturali¬ 
zation of their father? 

The law declares that children of persons who 
have been duly naturalized, being under twenty- 
one at the time of the naturalization of their pa¬ 
rents, shall, if dwelling in the United States, be 
considered as citizens. 

What is the nationality of citizens’ children born 
abroad? 

The children of persons who are or who have 
been citizens of the United States are considered 
to be citizens, though they were born outside the 
limits and jurisdiction of the United States. 

Such persons have, on coming of age, a right 
to decide whether they will accept nationality in 
the land of their birth, or in that of their parents. 

If naturalized citizens go abroad, can they rightly 
claim the protection of the United States? 

Section 2000 of the Eevised Statutes of the 
United States expressly declares that “all natu¬ 
ralized citizens of the United States while in for¬ 
eign countries are entitled to and shall receive 
from this Government the same protection of per- 


NEW YORK CITY AND STATE 83 

son and property which is accorded to native-born 
citizens.” 

Does a naturalized citizen become an elector as 

soon as he is admitted to citizenship ? 

The right to vote is conferred by the State, 
naturalization by the United States. In several 
States aliens who have declared their intentions 
enjoy the right to vote equally with naturalized 
or native-born citizens. But the Federal naturali¬ 
zation laws apply to the whole Union alike, and no 
alien may be naturalized until after five years* 
residence, except an honorably discharged soldier 
or a person whose parents have been naturalized 
while he was under twenty-one years of age, as 
above recited. Even after five years* residence and 
due naturalization, he is not entitled to vote unless 
the laws of the State confer the privilege upon 
him, and in New York State he must have been 
a citizen for ninety days before voting at an elec¬ 
tion, and he must qualify as a voter in the same 
way as do native-born citizens. 

Who is entitled to vote in this State? 

Every male citizen of the age of twenty-one 
years, who shall have been a citizen for ninety 
days, and an inhabitant of the State for one year 
next preceding election, and the last four months 
a resident of the county, and for the last thirty 
days a resident of the election district in which he 
may offer his vote, is entitled to vote in the elec- 


84 


A POLITICAL PRIMER OF 


tion district of which he is at the time a resident, 
and not elsewhere, for all officers that are elected 
by the people, and upon all questions that are sub¬ 
mitted to the vote of the people. 

Electors in actual service in the army and 
navy are permitted to vote where they at the time 
reside. 

No elector is deemed to have gained or lost 
a residence while employed in the service of the 
United States, while engaged in navigating the 
waters of this State or of the United States or of 
the high seas, nor while a student in any seminary 
of learning, nor while kept at any almshouse or 
other asylum or institution wholly or partly sup¬ 
ported at public expense or by charity, nor while 
confined in any public prison. 

What persons are excluded from the right of 

suffrage ? 

Those convicted of bribery offered or accepted 
for voting at an election, or of any infamous 
crime. 

Who has charge of the elections in New York 

City? 

The counties of New York, Kings, Queens, 
Richmond, and Westchester constitute a metro¬ 
politan election district. The Governor, with the 
consent of the Senate, appoints a resident of one 
of the aforesaid counties, as State Superintendent 
of Elections for the Metropolitan Election Dis- 


































































































































































NEW YORK CITY AND STATE 


85 


trict. His term is four years, and he has the 
powers of a Sheriff, with the duty of superintend¬ 
ing all elections at which State officers are chosen. 
He may appoint a chief deputy, clerk and sten¬ 
ographer. Every deputy appointed by him pos¬ 
sesses his power as a Sheriff. 

The Board of Elections, in accordance with 
State law, has exclusive management of elec¬ 
tions within the city of New York. The board 
consists of four persons, called Commission¬ 
ers of Elections, appointed by the Mayor for a 
term of two years, the term beginning at noon 
on the first day of an odd-numbered year. Each 
Commissioner must be a resident and elector of 
the city, and can hold no public office, except that 
of Commissioner of Deeds or notary-public, nor be 
a candidate for any elective office during his term. 
The salary is $5000 a year. Not more than two of 
the said Commissioners may belong to the same 
political party. The county-committee of each 
of the two parties that in the counties of New 
York and Kings cast at the election of the preced¬ 
ing even-numbered year the highest and the next 
to the highest number of votes for Governor, 
recommends the persons to be appointed by the 
Mayor to the Board of Elections. 

This board on or before the first day of Septem¬ 
ber in each year appoints election officers for each 
election district, and fills any vacancy that may 
occur before the opening of the polls on election 


86 


A POLITICAL PRIMER OF 


day. These appointments are made from lists 
filed by the political parties represented on the 
Board of Election. 

The Board of Elections has a general office in 
Manhattan, and a branch office in each of the 
other boroughs of the city. 

What is an election district? 

It is the territory within which the voters, en¬ 
titled to vote at the polling place of that district, 
reside. It must be compact in form and wholly 
within one Assembly District. In the rural coun¬ 
ties a town or ward may be an election district. 
In New York City the election districts are laid 
out, and may in accordance with law have their 
boundaries at times rearranged by the Board of 
Elections, but no election district can be laid out 
between July 1 and election day. Though the 
election districts in the city of New York vary in 
their area from a half block to many blocks, no 
block is divided other than obliquely from corner 
to corner, and the boundary lines always run in 
the middle of the street. An election district must 
be divided when it contains more than 650 regis¬ 
tered electors. 

In June, 1901, there were 1,537 election dis¬ 
tricts in the city. In June, 1900, there were 
1,007,670 males of voting age, of whom 54 per cent 
were foreign born. 


NEW YORK CITY AND STATE 


87 


Who fixes the day for general elections? 

It is fixed by law, is the same day throughout 
the State, and is the same day of the year as that 
fixed by the United States Constitution for the 
election of the President, the first Tuesday after 
the first Monday in November. The Presidential 
election occurs in leap years; the State Executive 
Officers are elected biennially, in even-numbered 
years, their election being at alternate times, 
simultaneous with that of the President; the 
municipal elections are in odd-numbered years; 
Assemblymen are elected annually; and State 
Senators every two years, in the even-numbered 
years. The Secretary of State, three months be¬ 
fore each general election, transmits to every 
County Clerk and to the Board of Elections, a no¬ 
tice stating the day upon which an election shall 
be held, and all the officers, except city officials, 
who may be lawfully voted for at said election. 
Each County Clerk publishes such notice, except 
in New York City, where the County Clerk an¬ 
nounces the county offices, and the City Clerk an¬ 
nounces the city offices that are to be filled by elec¬ 
tion. 

Where does every election have its beginnings? 

In the Primaries, where the fundamental work 
of each political party as such is done. 


88 


A POLITICAL PRIMER OF 


What are Primaries? 

The term Primary Election" is applied to the 
preliminary meetings of the voters of any political 
party to nominate candidates for offices to be filled 
by the vote of the electors at the next subsequent 
election; or to choose delegates to a convention 
that will make such nomination, or to elect dele¬ 
gates to form party organizations. 

How does an elector in New York City acquire the 

right to vote in the primaries of his election 

district ? 

At the time when an elector presents himself 
for registration as a voter at the next ensuing 
election, an enrollment blank, numbered to corre¬ 
spond with his number in the registry, is handed 
to him by an inspector, and he retires to the voting 
booth, where he may make a cross under the sym¬ 
bol of the party that he desires to support. He 
then encloses the blank in its accompanying en¬ 
velope, and drops it into a ballot box, where it re¬ 
mains until the Tuesday following the election, 
when all the ballot boxes are carried to the Board 
of Election. There the envelopes are opened and 
the name of every registered elector, his residence 
and his party preference are recorded in the two 
books allotted to his election district. The en¬ 
rollment blanks are preserved as evidence in case 
of dispute. The two enrollment books are the 
property of the Board of Elections, and are sent 


NEW YORK CITY AND STATE 89 

to the election district to which they pertain, for 
use at all official primaries during the next calen¬ 
dar year. Duplicate books are used at unofficial 
primaries. 

No elector may take part in a primary, unless 
his name stands in the enrollment book of his 
election district as a member of the party holding 
the primary. 

An elector who changes his residence from one 
election district to another within the city may, 
upon making proper affidavit before the Board of 
Electors, have his name transferred to the enroll¬ 
ment books of the election district to which he has 
removed. 

No elector who has enrolled in one political 
party is permitted to enroll in another political 
party sooner than the first day of the next ensuing 
registration. 

Failure to enroll in a party organization does 
not affect the right of an elector to register for 
the purpose of voting at an election. 

In a year when a President and a Vice-President 
of the United States are to be elected, an official 
primary election is held on the tenth Tuesday be¬ 
fore the day of general election, and in other years 
is held on the seventh Tuesday before the day of 
general election. Such a day is known as the 
annual primary day, and each party then holds 
primary elections for the election of delegates to 


90 


A POLITICAL PRIMER OF 


various political conventions, and for the nomi¬ 
nation of candidates to public offices. 

In every year when a President and Vice-Presi¬ 
dent of the United States are to be elected there is, 
on the last Tuesday in March, an additional official 
primary for the choice of delegates to State con¬ 
ventions and congressional district conventions. 

'Where are the officers nominated? 

Each is nominated at a nominating convention 
in the political division that afterward elects him. 
Each party holds its separate nominating con¬ 
vention, in each political division that is in the 
ensuing election to choose a local officer. A cer¬ 
tificate of nomination is filed with the County 
Clerk and with the Board of Elections. 

The city conventions for the nomination of 
Mayor, Comptroller and President of the Board of 
Aldermen are in each party made up of delegates 
from the Assembly Districts of the city. 

How are Congressmen nominated? 

Each Bepresentative to the House is nominated 
as well as elected within his own Congressional 
District. The Nominating Convention in which 
he is nominated is made up of delegates from the 
Assembly Districts within that Congressional Dis¬ 
trict. In the Kepublican party the unit of repre¬ 
sentation is the election district within the As¬ 
sembly District. In the Democratic party the unit 
of representation is the entire Assembly District. 



HIGH BRIDGE 


BROAD, 


%\ 60WEB^. 


IORFOLK 1 


[CLINTON AVE, 


RANDALL'%//. 


WARD'S 


ISLAND 


MAP OF THE WARDS 

IN THE BOROUGH OF MANHATTAN 
AND IX THE BOROUGH OF THE BRONX 


RIKER’S 
ISLAND 


/*\ ELLIS 
U ISLAND 







































MANHATTAN WARD BOUNDARIES. 


First— Bounded by Battery, East River, Maiden lane and Liberty st. 
and West st. 

Second —Maiden lane and Liberty st., Broadway, Park row, Spruce and 
Ferry sts. and Peck slip, East River. 

Third — Liberty st., West st., Reade, Broadway. 

Fourth — Spruce, Ferry sts. and Peck slip, South st., Catharine st., 
Park row. 

Fifth — Reade, West, Canal and Broadway. 

Sixth — Park row, Bowery, Walker and Canal sts., Broadway. 

Seventh — Catharine, Division and Grand sts., East River, South st. 

Eighth — Canal, West, West Houston sts. and Broadway. 

Ninth — W. Houston, Cottage place, Bleecker, Carmine sts. and 6th av., 
W. 14th st., North River. 

Tenth — Bowery, Rivington, Norfolk, Division sts. 

Eleventh — Avenue B and Clinton st., Rivington st., East River, 
E. 14th st. 

Twelfth —E. and W. 86th st., North River, East River (including 
Ward’s and Randall’s Islands), Harlem River and Spuyten Duyvil Creek. 

Thirteenth — Division and Grand sts., Norfolk, Rivington, East River. 

Fourteenth — Walker and Canal sts., Broadway, E. Houston, Bowery. 

Fifteenth — W. and E. Houston sts., Cottage place, Bleecker and Car¬ 
mine sts. and 6th av., E. and W. 14th sts., Bowery and 4th av. 

Sixteenth —W. 14th st., North River, W. 26th st., 6th av. 

Seventeenth— Rivington, Clinton sts. and Avenue B, E. 14th st., 
Bowery and 4th av. 

Eighteenth —E. and W. 14th sts., East River, E. and W. 26th sts., 
6th av. 

Nineteenth —E. and W. 86th sts., East River, E. and W. 40th sts., 
6th av. 

Twentieth — W. 40th st., 6th av., W. 26th st., North River. 

Twenty-first — E. and W. 40th sts., East River, E. and W. 26th sts., 
6th av. 

Twenty-second — W. 86th st., 6th av., 40th st., North River. 


NEW YORK CITY AND STATE 91 

How is New York State represented in a National 
Nominating Convention ? 

By twice as many delegates as it has Repre¬ 
sentatives in Congress. The Assembly Districts 
send delegates to their own Congressional Dis¬ 
trict Convention, and in each Congressional Dis¬ 
trict two delegates to the National Convention are 
chosen. Two alternates are also chosen. 

Besides these, the Assembly Districts send dele¬ 
gates to the State Convention, where four delegates 
at large are selected, with four alternates. All of 
these, twice 37 from the 37 Congressional Dis¬ 
tricts, and twice two in lieu of the two United 
States Senators, and the alternates, make up a 
body of 156, that may go as delegates from the 
Empire State to the National Nominating Con¬ 
vention, though only 78 may vote on any one bal¬ 
lot. 

How many National Nominating Conventions are 
held in the same year? 

Each political party holds one separately. It 
meets in the summer immediately preceding the 
Presidential election, and in a city designated by 
the party leaders. Each Convention is composed 
of delegates chosen by the voters of the party, and 
each State is alike entitled to twice as many dele¬ 
gates as it has persons representing it in Con¬ 
gress. Each party nominates, by a majority vote 
in its own National Convention, its candidate for 


92 


A POLITICAL PRIMER OF 


the Presidency and Vice-Presidency. All these 
voters in the nomination of a President are first 
themselves chosen at a Primary held either in an 
Assembly District or an election district. 

How is the intention to vote indicated, and how 
is it 'possible to ascertain whether a man is a 
qualified elector ? 

Every voter must previously register. In towns 
and villages of five thousand and upward, voters 
are registered upon personal application only. 
In New York City the registration is conducted by 
the inspectors appointed for each election district 
by the Board of Elections, and must be completed 
at least ten days before each election. Opportu¬ 
nity for investigation is thus afforded to the elec¬ 
tion officers. 

When and where does the elector register ? 

On the fourth Friday, fourth Saturday and the 
third Friday and third Saturday before every gen¬ 
eral election. In New York City the registration 
must be between seven o’clock A. M. and ten 
o’clock P. M., at the place appointed for the regis¬ 
tration of voters, and an elector may legally reg¬ 
ister only in the election district where he resides. 

How is an election conducted in New York City f 

The polling-places are fixed and furnished by 
the Board of Elections, one in each election dis¬ 
trict. The places are designated on the first Tues- 


NEW YORK CITY AND STATE 93 

day in September, and are first used for registra¬ 
tion of the voters in the district. 

On election day the time for voting is from six 
o’clock in the morning to five o’clock in the after¬ 
noon. The polling-place is in charge of four in¬ 
spectors, two poll clerks, and two ballot clerks, and 
each class of these officers is equally divided be¬ 
tween the two political parties which at the last 
preceding election for Governor polled the highest 
and the next to the highest number of votes for 
such office. These election officers are appointed 
for one year, and serve at every general and spe¬ 
cial election held within their districts during 
such term. No person can act who is not a 
qualified elector of the county in which he serves, 
and of good character, able to read and speak 
the English language understanding^ and to 
write it legibly; nor can he be one who is em¬ 
ployed in any public office paid for out of public 
moneys. 

The voting booths are stalls three feet square, ar¬ 
ranged within the voting room so that the voter 
while preparing his ballot in the booth is wholly 
screened from observation. Each booth is pro¬ 
vided with a shelf and counter at the proper 
height for writing and is supplied with all ma¬ 
terials necessary for marking or otherwise prepar¬ 
ing the ballot. The number of booths must not be 
less than one for every 75 voters in the election 
district. 


94 


A POLITICAL PRIMER OF 


There must be a guard-rail, with an interval 
of six feet between it and the voting booth, and 
none but authorized persons are admitted within 
the guard-rail. 

Any person who is a qualified voter may stand 
outside the guard-rail and challenge the right of 
any person to vote, or may require the name of 
any registered person to be marked for challenge. 

No person, while the polls are open, is permitted 
to electioneer within one hundred feet of the 
polling-place. 

On election day the list of all registered voters 
in the election district is in the hands of the elec¬ 
tion officers, and no person whose name does not 
appear on the list is permitted to vote. 

The expenses of preparing, printing, and dis¬ 
tributing the official ballots are borne by the 
municipal government. No other than the official 
ballots, prepared and printed under the direction 
of the election officers, can be used, and these are 
given out only within the polling-place, one to 
each voter as required. In this State the blanket 
ballot is used, the names of all the candidates 
for each office being printed on one sheet, those 
of the same party being arranged in a column 
under the accepted symbol of the party. 

At one end of the ballot is a numbered stub, 
which can be removed without unfolding the bal¬ 
lot. Upon the back of the ballot is printed the 
number of the polling district, the Assembly Dis- 


NEW YORK CITY AND STATE 95 

trict, the name of the borough, and the date of the 
election in which it is used. 

The Inspectors are the same persons who have 
in that election district acted as registrars for the 
election, and who have administered to the electors 
the prescribed oath, and have recorded the street 
and number of the dwelling, house, room, and 
story in which the elector lives, with notes re¬ 
garding his personal appearance, voice, nativity, 
and age. Each Inspector is provided with a copy 
of the registry, and no vote is received from any 
one whose name is not found on the registers. 

On passing the guard-rail the voter gives his 
name to an Inspector, who announces it in a loud, 
clear voice. At least three of the four Inspectors 
must then find the name on their respective regis¬ 
ters, and must declare that the person is a qualified 
voter before he can receive a ballot. The voter 
forthwith proceeds to a ballot clerk and gives his 
name and any other facts required, and the clerk 

announces the name in a loud, clear voice. If the 

* 

vote is not challenged, or if the challenge be de¬ 
cided in his favor, one of the ballot clerks then 
delivers to the voter the official ballot or set of 
official ballots folded in a proper manner for vot¬ 
ing. The voter thereupon enters a booth alone, 
and there marks his ballot. He is not allowed 
to make any other mark upon the official ballot 
than a cross (X) mark with a pencil having black 


96 


A POLITICAL PRIMER OF 


lead, or to write thereon the name of a person for 
whom he desires to vote. 

The voter leaves the booth with his ballot folded, 
and proceeds straightway and offers it to the In¬ 
spector in charge of the ballot box. The Inspector 
announces the name of the voter and the printed 
number on the stub of the official ballot so de¬ 
livered to him, and deposits the stub in one box 
and the ballot in another box. The voter then 
goes outside the guard-rail. He is then marked 
upon the register as having voted. 

Official ballots are delivered in such order that 
the numerical order of the numbers printed on 
the stubs of the ballots so delivered is the same 
as the order of the successive deliveries thereof to 
the voters, the ballot numbered one on the stub 
being first delivered. If more than one ballot is 
given to the voter, on account of his having spoiled 
what was before delivered to him, every ballot so 
given must be delivered back to the Inspector be¬ 
fore new ones can be claimed. 

Any voter declaring under oath at the time of 
registration his inability to read, or such physical 
disability as prevents his preparing his ballot, 
may be accompanied into the booth, and may be 
assisted in preparing his ballot, by two Inspectors, 
one from each party represented on the Board of 
Elections. 


NEW YORK CITY AND STATE 97 

Where can one find the list of voters in one's own 
election district in New YorTc City ? 

Those who registered for the last general elec¬ 
tion have their names in the City Record, of which 
printed copies, one for each Assembly District, 
may be obtained at the office of the City Record 
in the City Hall. 

After the ballots are cast on election day , what 
is done with them ? 

They are counted first without being unfolded, 
and the stubs are also counted. If the ballots 
exceed the number called for by the registry the 
excess is thrown out. The ballots are then pub¬ 
licly opened by the canvassers, who are the In¬ 
spectors, and all ballots of the same kind are put 
together and counted. An Inspector then pro¬ 
claims the result, announcing the total number of 
votes received by each candidate. 

The Inspectors in each election district send 
certified statements of the number of votes re¬ 
ceived by each candidate to the County Clerk of 
the county, to the chief clerk of the branch office 
of the Board of Elections in the borough in which 
the election district is located, to the Board of 
Elections, and to the City Clerk. All unused bal¬ 
lots and all stubs are returned to the Board of 
Elections. 

In counties other than those included in the 
city of New York the sealed envelope sent to the 


98 


A POLITICAL PRIMER OF 


County Clerk is opened only by the County Board 
of Canvassers, which consists of the Board of 
Supervisors. 

For the city of New York the Board of Elec¬ 
tions constitutes the Board of Canvassers for the 
city officers, and the Board of Aldermen consti¬ 
tutes the Board of Canvassers for the counties 
within the city. On completion of the canvass a 
certificate of his election is transmitted to each 
elected officer. 

If the election be one in which State officers 
are elected, records of the votes from the counties 
are transmitted to the Board of State Canvassers, 
which is composed of the Secretary of State, the 
Attorney-General, the Comptroller, the State 
Treasurer, the State Engineer and Surveyor. Any 
three of them form a quorum. They meet in the 
office of the Secretary of State or in that of tho 
Treasurer or Comptroller, on or before the 15th 
of December after a general election, and canvass 
the votes from the counties, declare the final totals, 
and announce the result of the election. 

When do elected officers in New York City assume 

the duties of their respective offices? 

Having been elected in November in an odd 
year, they assume office at noon on the first day 
of the following January, the beginning of an 
even year. 















BROOKLYN ASSEMBLY DISTRICTS. 


First — Election Districts 2 to 15 inclusive of the 1st Ward ; the 3d Ward 
and the 1st Election District of the 6th Ward. 

Second —The 2d, 4th and 5th Wards, and the 1st Election District of 
the 1st Ward. 

Third — Election Districts 2 to 25 inclusive of the 6th Ward. 

Fourth — The 7th Ward, and Election Districts 1 to 7 inclusive of the 
19th Ward, and Election Districts 1 to 3 inclusive of the 21st Ward. 

Fifth — The 13th Ward, and Election Districts 8 to 24 inclusive of the 
19th Ward. 

Sixth — Election Districts 4 to 35 inclusive of the 21st Ward. 

Seventh — Election Districts 7 to 23 inclusive of the 8th Ward, and the 
80th and 31st Wards. 

Eighth — Election Districts 1 to 22 inclusive of the 10th Ward. 

Ninth — The 12th Ward, and Election Districts 1 to 6 inclusive of the 8th 
Ward, and Election Districts 23, 24 and 25 of the 10th Ward. 

Tenth — The 20th Ward, and Election Districts 1 to 13 inclusive of the 
11th Ward. 

Eleventh — The 9th Ward, and Election Districts 14 to 17 inclusive of 
the 11th Ward, and Election Districts 1 to 3 inclusive of the 22d Ward. 

Twelfth — Election Districts 4 to 34 inclusive of the 22d Ward. 

Thirteenth — Election Districts 4 to 20 inclusive of the 15th Ward, and 
Election Districts 16 to 31 inclusive of the 17th Ward. 

Fourteenth — Election Districts 1 to 15 inclusive of the 14th Ward, and 
Election Districts 1 to 15 inclusive of the 17th Ward. 

Fifteenth — The 16th Ward, the 16th Election District of the 14th Ward, 
and Election Districts 1 to 3 inclusive of the 15th Ward. 

Sixteenth — The 25th Ward, and Election Districts 30 to 34 inclusive of 
the 23d Ward. 

Seventeenth —Election Districts 1 to 29 inclusive of the 23d Ward. 

Eighteenth — The 24th, 29th and 32d Wards, and Election Districts 35 
to 37 inclusive of the 23d Ward. 

Nineteenth — The 18th Ward, and Election Districts 1 to 12 inclusive 
of the 27th Ward, and the 1st Election District of the 2Sth Ward. 

Twentieth — Election Districts 13 to 19 inclusive of the 27th Ward, and 
Election Districts 2 to 24 inclusive of the 28th Ward. 

Twenty-first — The 26th Ward, and Election Districts 25 to 31 inclusive 
of the 28th Ward. 


NEW YORK CITY AND STATE 99 

Whose is the fault when the laws are bad , or when 
the laws are badly administered? 

Every fault of government has its origin in the 
fault of the voter. Only by the expression of 
right character through the ballot, from the first 
cast for a delegate from the Primary to the last 
cast for President, can we maintain that Liberty 
whose unvarying price is Eternal Vigilance. 

“Not lightly fall 
Beyond recall 

The written scrolls a breath can float; 

The crowning fact, 

The kingliest act 

Of freedom, is the freeman’s vote.” 

Whittier. 


L.ofC. 


100 A POLITICAL PRIMER OF 


STATES AND TERRITORIES. 

Gross area 

Water 

surface. 

Land 

surface. 

Total. 

3.622,933 

*55,662 

*2,970,038 


Alabama. 

62,250 
690,884 
113,020 
63,860 
168 360 

710 

51,540 

Alaska . 

Arizona. 

100 

112,920 

63,046 

155,980 

103,645 

4,845 

1,960 

60 

Arkansas. 

805 

California. 

2,380 

280 

Colorado. 

103,925 

Connecticut. 

4'990 

145 

Delaware. 

2 060 

90 

District of Columbia. 

’ 70 

10 

Florida. 

68,680 

69,475 

6,449 

4,440 

64,240 

68,980 

Georgia. 

495 

Hawaii. 

Idaho. 

84^800 

56,650 

610 

84,290 
56,000 
35,910 
31,000 
55,475 
81,700 
40,000 
45,420 
29,895 
9,860 
8,040 
57,430 
79,205 
46 340 

Illinois. 

650 

Indiana. 

36,350 

31.400 
56,025 
82,080 

40.400 
48,720 
33,040 
12,210 

8,315 
68,915 
83,365 
46.810 
69 415 

440 

Indian Territory. . 

400 

Iowa.. .. . 

550 

Kansas. 

380 

Kentucky. 

400 

Louisiana. 

3,300 
3,145 
2,350 
275 
1,485 
4,160 
470 
680 
770 
670 
960 
300 
290 
120 
1,550 
3,670 
600 
300 
200 
1,470 
230 
197 
400 
800 
300 
3,490 
2,780 
430 
o 325 

Maine. 

Maryland.. 

Massachusetts. 

Michigan. 

Minnesota. 

Mississippi. 

Missouri. 

68 735 

Montana . 

146^080 
77,510 
110,700 
9,305 
7,815 
122,580 
49 170 

iak am 

Nebraska. 

7fi ftlO 

Nevada. 

10Q 7 AH 

New Hampshire. 

9,005 

7 505 

New Jersey. 

NewMexico. 

100 AAH 

New York. 

A. 7 Aon 

North Carolina. 

52,250 

70,795 

41,060 

39,030 

96.030 

45,215 

1,250 

30,570 

77,650 

42,050 

265,780 

84,970 

9,565 

42,450 

69,180 

24,780 

66,040 

97,890 

Aft Kftft 

North Dakota. 

70,195 

Ohio. 

Oklahoma. 

<ou 

38,830 

94,560 

AA QQK 

Oregon.. 

Pennsylvania . 

Rhode Island. 

44,yoO 

1,063 

30,170 

7A QKA 

South Carolina. 

South Dakota. 

Tennessee. 

41,750 

Texas. 

Utah. 


Vermont. 

©A,iyu 

Virginia. 

57. loo 

Washington. 

2 300 

41MA0 

66,880 

24,645 

54,450 

97,675 

West Virginia. 

135 

1 500 

Wisconsin. 

Wyoming. 

315 


* Exclusive of Alaska and Hawaii. 

















































































NEW YORK CITY AND STATE 


101 


STATES AND TERRITORIES. 

Pop., 1901. 

REPRESENT¬ 

ATIVES. 

The United States. 

76,303,387 

386 


Alabama. 

1,828,697 

1,311,664 

1,485,053 

639,700 

908,420 

184,735 

628,542 

2,216,331 

161,772 

4,821.550 

2,516,462 

2,231,853 

1,470,495 

9 

Arkansas. 

7 

California. 

8 

Colorado. 

3 

Connecticut. 

5 

Delaware. 

1 

Florida. 

3 

Georgia.,. 

11 

Idaho. 

1 

Illinois. 

25 

Indiana. 

13 

Iowa. 

11 

Kansas. 

8 

Kentucky. 

2;i47;i74 

1,381,625 

694,466 

11 

Louisiana. 

7 

Maine. 

4 

Maryland. 

1,188,044 

2,805,346 

2,420,982 

1,751,394 

1,551,270 

3,106,665 

243,329 

1,066,300 

42.335 

6 

Massachussets. 

14 

Michigan... 

12 

Minnesota. 

9 

Mississippi. . . 

8 

Missouri. 

16 

Montana. 

1 

Nebraska . 

6 

Nevada. 

1 

New Hampshire. .. 

411,588 

2 

New Jersey. 

1,883,669 

7,268,894 

1,893,810 

319,146 

10 

New York. 

37 

North Carolina. 

10 

North Dakota. .. 

2 

Ohio. 

4,157,545 

413,536 

21 

Oregon. 

2 

Pennsylvania. 

6,302,115 

428.566 

32 

Rhode Island. 

2 

South Carolina. 

1,340,316 

7 

South Dakota. 

401,570 

2 

Tennessee. 

2,020,616 

10 

Texas. 

3,048,710 

276,749 

16 

Utah. 

1 

Vermont. 

343,641 

2 

Virginia. 

1,854,184 

10 

Washington. 

518,103 

3 

West Virginia. 

Wisconsin. 

958,800 

2,069,042 

6 

11 

Wyoming. 

92,531 

1 



Total for 45 states. 

74,607,225 

63.592 
122,931 
278 718 


Alaska. 


Arizona.. 


District of Columbia. 


Hawaii. 

154,001 

392,060 

195,310 

398,331 


Indian Territory. 


New Mexico. 


Oklahoma. 





































































102 


A POLITICAL PlilMEli OP 


Counties of New York State 

The population is taken from the United States Census 
of 1900 . The area of the counties is taken mainly from 
the Government Red-Book, dated 1875 , no more trust¬ 
worthy survey being found. 


Counties in 
State. 

Population 

1900 . 

Area 

Sq. M. 

Sixty-one 
County Seats. 

Albany. .... 

165,571 

514 

Albany 

Allegany. 

41,601 

1033 

Belmont 

Broome. 

69,149 

706 

Binghamton 

Cattaraugus. 

65,643 

1334 

Little Valley 

Cayuga . 

66,234 

756 

Auburn 

Chautauqua. 

88,314 

1099 

Mayville 

Chemung. 

54,063 

406 

Elmira 

Chenango. 

36,568 

898 

Norwich 

Clinton. 

47,430 

1092 

Plattsburg 

Columbia. 

43,211 

688 

Hudson 

Cortland. 

27,576 

485 

Cortland 

Delaware. 

46,418 

1580 

Delhi 

Dutchess. 

81,670 

810 

Poughkeepsie 

Erie. 

433,686 

1071 

Buffalo 

Essex. 

30,707 

1926 

Elizabethtown 

Franklin. 

42,853 

1718 

Malone 

Fulton. 

42,842 

544 

Johnstown 

Genesee. 

34,561 

507 

Batavia 

Greene . 

31,478 

686 

Catskill 

Hamilton. 

4,947 

1745 

Lake Pleasant 

Herkimer. 

51,049 

1745 

Herkimer 

Jefferson. 

76,748 

1868 

Watertown 

"Kings. 

1,166,582 

72 

Brooklyn 

Lewis. 

27,427 

1288 

Lowville 

Livingston. 

37,059 

655 

Geneseo 

Madison. 

40,545 

670 

Morrisville 









































NEW YORK CITY AND STATE 


103 


Counties of New York State —Continued 


Counties in 
State. 

Population 

1900 . 

Area. 
Sq. M. 

SlXTY-ONB 

County Seats. 

Monroe. 

217,854 

47.488 

55.488 
2,050,600 

74,961 

132,800 

168,735 

49,605 

103,859 

30,164 

70,881 

48,939 

13,787 

152,999 

121,697 

67,021 

38,298 

89,083 

61,089 

46,852 

26,854 

15,811 

28,114 

82,822 

77,582 

32,306 

27,951 

33,830 

88,422 

29,943 

45,624 

48,660 

184,257 

30,413 

20,318 

682 

Rochester 

Montgomery. 

214 

Fonda 

Nassau. 

282 

Mineola 

New York. 

62 

N. Y. City 
Lockport 

Utica and Rome 

Niagara. 

558 

Oneida. 

1215 

Onondaga. 

812 

Syracuse 

Canandaigua 

Goshen 

Ontario. 

640 

Orange. 

838 

Orleans. 

405 

Albion 

Oswego. 

1038 

Oswego 

Cooperstown 

Carmel 

Otsego. 

1038 

Putnam. 

234 

Queens. 

128 

Jamaica 

Troy 

Richmond 

Rensselaer. 

690 

Richmond. 

59 

Rockland. 

208 

New City 

Canton 

Ballston 

St. Lawrence. 

Saratoga. 

2880 

862 

Schenectady. 

221 

Schenectady 

Schoharie 

Schoharie. 

675 

Schuyler. 

352 

Watkins 

Seneca . 

420 

Ovid 

Steuben. 

1425 

Bath 

Suffolk. 

1200 

Riverhead 

Sullivan. 

1082 

Monticello 

Tioga. 

542 

Owego 

Ithaca 

Tompkins. 

506 

Ulster.. 

1204 

Kingston 

Lake George 
Argyle 

Lyons 

White Plains 

Warren . 

968 

Washington. 

850 

Wayne. 

624 

Westchester. 

506 

Wyoming. 

590 

Warsaw 

Yates. 

320 

Penn Yan 





















































104 


A POLITICAL PRIMER OF 


Foreign Born Population of New York City, Dis¬ 
tributed According to Country of Birth, 1900 . 


Total.1,270,080 

Germany. 322,843 

Ireland. 275,102 

Russia . 155,201 

Italy. 145,433 

Austria. 71,427 

England. 68,836 

Hungary. 31,516 

Sweden . 28,320 

Poland (Russian). 25,231 

Scotland_... . 19,836 

Canada (English). 19,399 

Bohemia. 15,055 

France. 14,755 

Norway. 11,387 

Switzerland. 8,371 

Denmark. 5,621 

Poland (Austrian). 8,995 

Canada (French). 2,527 

Holland. 2,608 

Poland (German). 1,881 

Poland (Unknown). 1,766 

Wales. 1,686 

Mexico. 282 

Other Countries. 37,502 


The native white persons born of native parents were 368,008 males 
and 369,469 females, or 21 per cent, of the total population. The native 
white persons born of foreign parents were 673,937 males and 697,566 
females, or 40 per cent, of the total population. 

Negroes and persons of negro descent numbered 60 , 666 . The total 
colored population, including Chinese and Japanese, numbered 67 , 304 . 

Total population of New York City, 3 , 437 , 202 . 

































NEW YORK CITY AND STATE 


105 


OFFICIAL DIRECTORY 

The public offices of the city are generally open for busi¬ 
ness on week-days, other than holidays, from 9 o’clock A. M. 
to 4 o’clock P. M., except on Saturdays, when they close at 
noon. The offices of clerks of the courts are open during 
the same hours. 

EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT. 

Mayor’s Office, No. 6 City Hall. 

Seth Low, Mayor. 

James B. Reynolds, Secretary. 

William J. Moran, Assistant Secretary and Chief Clerk 
of the Mayor. 


BOROUGH OFFICERS. 

Borough of Manhattan. 

Office of the President, Nos. 10, 11 and 12 City Hall. 
Jacob A. Cantor, President. 

George W. Blake, Secretary. 

Perez M. Stewart, Superintendent of Buildings. 

George Livingston, Commissioner of Public Works. 
Richard E. Taylor, Superintendent of Baths. 

William H. Walker, Superintendent of Public Buildings 
and Offices. 

William H. Michales, Superintendent of Sewers. 

James G. Collins, Superintendent of Highways. 

Borough of the Bronx. 

Office of the President, Corner Third Avenue and 177th Street. 
Louis F. Haffen, President. 

Michael J. Garvin, Superintendent of Buildings. 

Borough of Brooklyn. 

Office of the President, No. 11 Borough Hall. 

J. Edward Swanstrom, President. 

William C. Redfield, Commissioner of Public Works. 
William M. Calder, Superintendent of Buildings. 

Borough of Queens. 

Office of the President, Long Island City. 

Joseph Cassidy, President. 

George S. Jarvis, Secretary to the President. 

Joseph Bermel, Commissioner of Public Works. 

Samuel Grennon, Superintendent of Highways. 

Joseph P. Powers, Superintendent of Buildings. 

Philip T. Cronin, Superintendent of Public Buildings and 
Offices. 

Matthew J. Goldner, Superintendent of Sewers. 

Borough of Richmond. 

Office of the President, First National Bank Building, 

New Brighton. 

George Cromwell, President. 



106 


A POLITICAL PRIMER OF 


LAW DEPARTMENT. 

Office of Corporation Counsel, Staats-Zeitung Building, Tryon 
Row, Third and Fourth Floors. 

George L. Rives, Corporation Counsel. 


DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE. 

Stewart Building, Chambers Street and Broadway. 
Edward M. Grout, Comptroller. 


POLICE DEPARTMENT. 

Central Office, No. 300 Mulberry Street. 

John N. Partridge, Commissioner. 

Nathaniel B. Thurston, First Deputy Commissioner. 
Frederick H. E. Ebstein, Second Deputy Commissioner. 


FIRE DEPARTMENT. 

Headquarters, Nos. 157 and 159 East Sixty-seventh Street. 
Thomas Sturgis, Fire Commissioner. 

Richard H. Laimbeer, Jr., Deputy Commissioner, Boroughs 
of Brooklyn and Queens. 

Edward F. Croker, Chief of Department and in Charge 
of Fire-Alarm Telegraph. 

Central Office open at all hours. 


DEPARTMENT OF WATER SUPPLY, GAS AND 

ELECTRICITY. 

Nos. 13 to 21 Park Row. 

J. Hampden Dougherty, Commissioner. 

James H. Haslin, Deputy Commissioner, Borough of Man¬ 
hattan. 

James Moffett, Deputy Commissioner, Borough of Brooklyn, 
Municipal Building, Brooklyn. 

George Wallace, Sr., Deputy Commissioner, Borough of 
Queens, Long Island City. 

Thomas J. Mulligan, Deputy Commissioner, Borough of 
the Bronx, Crotona Park Building. 

Henry P. Morrison, Deputy Commissioner, Borough of 
Richmond. Office, Richmond Building, corner Richmond 
Terrace and York Avenue, New Brighton, S. I. 


DEPARTMENT OF STREET CLEANING. 

Nos. 13 to 21 Park Row. 

John McGaw Woodbury, Commissioner. 

F. M. Gibson, Deputy Commissioner for Borough of Man¬ 
hattan. 

Patrick H. Quinn, Deputy Commissioner for Borough of 
Brooklyn, Room 37, Municipal Building. 

Joseph Llebertz, Deputy Commissioner for Borough of 
the Bronx, No. 534 Willis Avenue. 

James F. O’Brien, Deputy Commissioner for Borough of 
Queens, No. 48 Jackson Avenue, Long Island City. 







NEW YORK CITY AND STATE 


107 


DEPARTMENT OF BRIDGES. 

Nos. 13 to 21 Park Row. 
Gustav Lindenthal, Commissioner. 

Thomas H. York, Deputy. 

Samuel R. Probasco, Chief Engineer. 
Matthew H. Moore, Deputy for Bronx. 
Harry Beam, Deputy for Brooklyn 
John E. Backus, Deputy for Queens. 


DEPARTMENT OF PARKS. 

William R. Willcox, Commissioner of Parks of the City 
of New York, having administrative jurisdiction in the 
Boroughs of Manhattan and Richmond and President of the 
Park Board. 

Willis Holly, Secretary, Park Board. 

Offices, Arsenal, Central Park. 

Richard Young, Commissioner of Parks of the City of 
New York, having administrative jurisdiction in the Bor¬ 
oughs of Brooklyn and Queens. 

Offices, City Hall, Brooklyn, and Litchfield Mansion, Prospect 

Park. 

John E. Eustis, Commissioner Of Parks of the City of 
New York, having administrative jurisdiction in the Bor¬ 
ough of the Bronx. 

Offices, Zbrowski Mansion, Claremont Park. 


DEPARTMENT OF DOCKS AND FERRIES. 

Pier A, North River, Battery Place. 
McDougall Hawkes, Commissioner. 


TENEMENT-HOUSE DEPARTMENT. 

Office, No. 61 Irving Place, Cor. 18th St. 

Robert W. De Forrest, Commissioner. 

Lawrence Veiller, First Deputy Tenement-House Commis- 

Bloner. 

Wesley C. Bush, Second Deputy Tenement-House Commis¬ 
sioner. 


DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC CHARITIES. 

Central Office, Foot of East Twenty-sixth Street. 
Homer Folks, President of the Board ; Commissioner for 
Manhattan and Bronx. 

James E. Dougherty, First Deputy Commissioner. 

Charles E. Teagle, Second Deputy Commissioner, for Brook¬ 
lyn and Queens, Nos. 126 and 128 Livingston Street, Brook¬ 
lyn. 

Department for Care of Destitute Children, No. 66 Third 
Avenue, 8 :30 A. M. to 4 :30 P. M. 






108 


A POLITICAL PRIMER OF 


DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTION. 

Central Office, No. 148 East Twentieth Street. 

Thomas W. Hynes, Commissioner. 

Alexander C. MacNulty, Deputy Commissioner. 

John Morrissey Gray, Deputy Commissioner for Boroughs 
of Brooklyn and Queens. 


DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH. 

Southwest Corner of Fifty-fifth Street and Sixth Avenue, 

Manhattan. 

Burial Permit and Contagious Disease Offices Always Open. 
Ernest J. Lederle, Commissioner. 

Charles F. Roberts, M.D., Sanitary Superintendent. 
Frederick H. Dillingham, M.D., Assistant Sanitary Super¬ 
intendent, Borough of Manhattan. 

Eugene Monahan, M.D., Assistant Sanitary Superintend¬ 
ent, Borough of the Bronx. 

Robert A. Black, M.D., Assistant Sanitary Superintendent, 
Borough of Brooklyn. 

Obed L. Lusk, M.D., Assistant Sanitary Superintendent, 
Borough of Queens. 

John L. Feeny, M.D., Assistant Sanitary Superintendent, 
Borough of Richmond. 


DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION. 

Board of Education. 

Park Avenue and Fifty-ninth Street, Borough of Manhattan. 


DEPARTMENT OF TAXES AND ASSESSMENTS. 
Stewart Building, Corner Chambers Street and Broadway. 

James L. Wells, President of the Board ; Samuel Stras- 
bourger, William L. Cogswell, George J. Gillespie, Rufus L. 
Scott, Commissioners. 


MUNICIPAL CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION. 

No. 346 Broadway. 

Willis L. Ogden, Alexander T. Mason, Cornelius Vander¬ 
bilt, William A. Perrine, William N. Dykeman, Theodore M. 
Banta and Nelson S. Spencer, Commissioners. 

George A. McAneny, Secretary. 


BOARD OF ELECTIONS. 

Commissioners—John R. Voojhis, President; Charles B. 
Page, Secretary ; John Maguire, Michael J. Dady. 

Headquarters, General Office, No. 301 Mott Street. 

A. C. Allen, Chief Clerk of the Board. 

Office, Borough of Manhattan, No. 301 Mott Street. 

William C. Baxter, Chief Clerk. 

Office, Borough of the Bronx, 138th Street and Mott Avenue, 

Solingen Building. 







NEW YORK CITY AND STATE 


109 


Cornelius A. Bunner, Chief Clerk. 

Office, Borough of Brooklyn, No. 42 Court Street. 
George Russell, Chief Clerk. 

Office, Borough of Queens, No. 51 Jackson Avenue, Long 

Island City. 

Carl Voegel, Chief Clerk. 

Office, Borough of Richmond, Staten Island Savings Building, 

Stapleton, S. I. 

Alexander M. Ross, Chief Clerk. 


NEW YORK COUNTY CLERK’S OFFICE. 

Nos. 8, 9, 10 and 11 County Court House, City Hall Park. 
Thomas L. Hamilton, County Clerk. 


KINGS COUNTY CLERK’S OFFICE. 
Hall of Records, Brooklyn. 
Charles J. Hartzheim, County Clerk. 


QUEENS COUNTY CLERK’S OFFICE 
Jamaica, N. Y., Fourth Ward, Borough of Queens. 
Office Hours: April 1 to October 1, 8 A. M. to 5. P. M. 
October 1 to April 1, 9 A. M. to 5 P. M.; Saturdays, to 
12 M. 

County and Supreme Court held at the Queens County 
Court House, Long Island City. Court Opens 9:30 
A. M., to adjourn 5 P. M. 

James Ingram, County Clerk. 


RICHMOND COUNTY CLERK’S OFFICE. 
County Office Building, Richmond, S. I. 
Edward M. Muller, County Clerk. 


NEW YORK COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY. 

Office, Criminal Court Building, Centre St., Cor. Franklin St. 
William Travers Jerome, District Attorney. 


KINGS COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY. 
Office, County Court House, Borough of Brooklyn. 
John F. Clarke, District Attorney. 


QUEENS COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY. 
Office, County Court House, Long Island City. 
John B. Merrill, District Attorney. 


RICHMOND COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY. 
Office, Port Richmond, S. I. 

Edward S. Rawson, District Attorney. 










no 


A POLITICAL PRIMER OF 

CORONERS. 

Borough of Manhattan. 

Office, New Criminal Court Building. Open at all times 

of day and night. 

Edward T. Fitzpatrick, Nicholas T. Brown, Gustav Scholer, 
Moses J. Jackson. 

Borough of the Bronx. 

No. 761 East 166th Street. Open from 8 A. M. to 12 

midnight. 

William O’Gorman, Jr., Joseph J. Berry. 

Borough of Brooklyn. 

Office, Room 17, Borough Hall. Open at all times of day 
and night, except between the hours of 12 M. and 5 
P. M., on Sundays and holidays. 

Philip T. Williams, Michael J. Flaherty. 

Borough of Queens. 

Office, Borough Hall, Fulton Street, Jamaica, L. I. 
Samuel D. Nutt, Leonard Ruoff, Jr., Martin Mager, Jr. 

Borough of Richmond. 

No. 64 New York Avenue, Rosebank. 

Open for the transaction of business all hours of the day 

and night. 

George F. Schaeffer, Michael Cahill. 


NEW YORK COUNTY SURROGATE’S COURT. 

New County Court House. Court open from 9 A. M. to 4 
P. M., except Saturdays, when it closes at 12 M. 
Frank T. Fitzgerald, Abner C. Thomas, Surrogates; 
William Y. Leary, Chief Clerk. 


KINGS COUNTY SURROGATE’S COURT. 
Hall of Records, Brooklyn. 

James C. Church, Surrogate. 

Michael F. McGoldrick, Chief Clerk. 

Court opens at 10 A. M. 


COUNTY JUDGE AND SURROGATE. 
County Office Building, Richmond, S. I. 
Stephen D. Stevens, County Judge. 


PUBLIC ADMINISTRATOR, NEW YORK COUNTY. 
No. 119 Nassau Street. 

William M. Hoes, Public Administrator. 


PUBLIC ADMINISTRATOR, KINGS COUNTY. 
No. 189 Montague Street, Brooklyn. 
William B. Davenport, Public Administrator. 







NEW YORK CITY AND STATE 


111 


PUBLIC ADMINISTRATOR, QUEENS COUNTY. 
No. 103 Third St., Long Island City. 
Charles A. Wadley, Public Administrator. 


SHERIFF’S OFFICE, NEW YORK COUNTY. 
Stewart Building, Broadway and Chambers Street. 
William J. O’Brien, Sheriff ; E. C. Moen, Under-Sheriff 


SHERIFF’S OFFICE, KINGS COUNTY. 
County Court House, Brooklyn. 
Charles Guden, Sheriff. 


SHERIFF’S OFFICE, QUEENS COUNTY. 
County Court House, Long Island City. 
Joseph H. De Bragga, Sheriff. 


SHERIFF’S OFFICE, RICHMOND COUNTY. 
County Court House, Richmond, S. I. 
Franklin C. Vitt, Sheriff. 


REGISTER’S OFFICE, NEW YORK COUNTY. 
East Side City Hall Park. 

John H. J. Ronner, Register. 


REGISTER’S OFFICE, KINGS COUNTY. 
Hall of Records. 

John K. Neal, Register. 


COMMISSIONER OF JURORS, NEW YORK COUNTY. 
Room 127 Stewart Building, Chambers Street and Broadway. 
Charles Welde, Commissioner. 


COMMISSIONER OF JURORS, KINGS COUNTY. 
5 Court House. 

William E. Melody, Commissioner. 


COMMISSIONER OF JURORS, QUEENS COUNTY. 
Edward J. Knauer, Commissioner. 


COMMISSIONER OF JURORS, RICHMOND COUNTY. 
Charles J. Ivullman, Commissioner. 












112 


A POLITICAL PRIMER OF 


NE7W YORK COUNTY JAIL. 

No. 70 Ludlow Street, 6 A. M. to 10 P. M., Daily. 
ThomaB H. Sullivan, Warden. 


KINGS COUNTY JAIL. 

Raymond Street, between Willoughby Street and DeKalb 
Avenue, Brooklyn, New York. 

Richard Bergln, Warden. 


APPELLATE DIVISION, SUPREME COURT, FIRST 
JUDICIAL DEPARTMENT. 

Court House, Madison Avenue, Corner Twenty-fifth Street. 
Court opens at 1 P. M. 

Charles H. Van Brunt, Presiding Justice; Chester B. 
McLaughlin, Edward Patterson, Morgan J. O’Brien, George 
L. Ingraham, Edward W. Hatch, Frank C. Loughlin, Jus¬ 
tices ; Alfred Wagstaff, Clerk. 

CRIMINAL DIVISION, SUPREME COURT. 

New Criminal Court Building, Centre Street. Court opens 

at 10 :30 o’clock, A. M. 

Edward R. Carroll, Clerk. Hours from 10 A. M. to 4 P. M. 

SUPREME COURT. 

Court House, City Hall Park and Chambers Street, 10:30 

A. M. to 4 P. M. 

Justices—George C. Barrett, Charles H. Truax, Charles 
F. Maclean, James Fitzgerald. Miles Beach, David Leven- 
trltt, Leonard A. Geigerich,, Henry Bischoff, Jr., John J. 
Freedman, George P. Andrews, P. Henry Dugro, John Proc¬ 
tor Clarke, Henry A. Gildersleeve, Francis M. Scott, James 
A. A. O’Gorman, James A. Blanchard, Samuel Greenbaum, 
Alfred Steckler. Thomas L. Hamilton, Clerk. 

Naturalization Bureau, Room 38. 


COUNTY COURT, KINGS COUNTY. 

County Court House, Brooklyn, Rooms 10, 22, 23 and 27. 
Court opens 10 A. M. daily, and sits until business la 
completed. 

Joseph Aspinall and Frederick C. Crane, County Judges. 
Julius S. Wieman, Chief Clerk. 


QUEENS COUNTY COURT. 

County Court House, Long Island City. 

County Court opens at 9 :30 A. M.; adjourns at 5 P. M. 
County Judge’s office always open at Flushing, N. Y. 
Harrison S. Moore, County Judge. 


CITY COURT OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK. 

No. 32 Chambers Street, Brownstone Building, City Hall 
Park, from 10 A. M. to 4 P. M. 

James M. Fitzsimmons, Chief Justice; John H. Mc¬ 
Carthy, LewlB J. Conlan, Edward F. O’Dwyer, Theodore F. 







NEW YORK CITY AND STATE 113 

Hascall, Francis B. Delehanty, Samuel Seabury, Justices. 
Thomas F. Smith, Clerk. 


COURT OF GENERAL SESSIONS. 

Held In the Building for Criminal Courts, Centre, Elm, White 
and Franklin Streets. Court opens at half-past 10 o’clock. 
Rufus B. Cowing, City Judge ; John W. Goff, Recorder; 
Joseph E. Newburger, Martin T. McMahon and Warren W. 
Foster, Judges of the Court of General Sessions. Edward 
R. Carroll, Clerk. 


COURTS OF SPECIAL SESSIONS. 

First Division—Building for Criminal Courts, Centre 
Street, between Franklin and White Streets, Borough of 
Manhattan. Court opens at 10 A. M. 

Justices—Elizur B. Hinsdale, William E. Wyatt, John 
B. McKean, William C. Holbrook, Julius M. Mayer ; William 
M. Fuller, Clerk ; Joseph H. Jones, Deputy Clerk. 

Second Division—Borough Hall, Brooklyn. Trial days— 
Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 10 o’clock; Town 
Hall Jamaica, Borough of Queens, Tuesdays, at 10 o’clock ; 
Town Hall, New Brighton, Borough of Richmond, Thursdays, 
at 10 o’clock. 

Justices—John Courtney, Howard J. Forker, Patrick 
Keady, John Fleming, Thomas W. Fitzgerald. Joseph L. 
Kerrigan, Clerk ; John J. Dorman, Deputy Clerk. 


CITY MAGISTRATES’ COURTS. 
FIRST DIVISION. 


Manhattan and the Bronx. 


City Magistrates—Henry A. Brann, Robert C. Cornell, Le¬ 
roy B. Crane, Joseph M. Deuel, Charles A. Flammer, Lorenz 
Zeller, Clarence W. Meade, John O. Mott, Joseph Pool, John 
B. Mayo, Edward Hogan, Willard H. Olmstead. 

Philip Bloch, Secretary. 

First District—Criminal Court Building. 

Second District—Jefferson Market. 

Third District—No. 69 Essex Street. 

Fourth District—Fifty-seventh Street, near Lexington 
Avenue. „ , 

Fifth District—One Hundred and Twenty-first Street, 
southeastern corner of Sylvan Place. 

Sixth District—One Hundred and Fifty-eighth Street and 
Third Avenue. , „ _ 

Seventh District—Fifty-fourth street, west of Eighth 

Avenue. 

SECOND DIVISION. 


Borough of Brooklyn. 

City Magistrates—Alfred E. Steers, A. V. B. Voorhees, Jr., 
James G. Tighe, Walter L. Durack, J. Lott Nostrand, Charles 
S. Devoy, William Watson, Raymond B. Ingersoll, William 
Kramer, William Brennan. 





114 


A POLITICAL PRIMER OF 


First District—No. 318 Adams Street. 

Second District—Court and Butler Streets. 

Third District—Myrtle and Vanderbilt Avenues. 

Fourth District—Lee Avenue and Clymer Street. 

Fifth District—Manhattan Avenue and Powers Street. 
Sixth District—Gates and Reid Avenues. 

Seventh District—Grant Street (Flatbush). 

Eighth District—West Eighth Street (Coney Island). 

Borough of Queens. 

City Magistrates—Matthew J. Smith, Luke J. Connorton, 
Edmund J. Healy. 

First District—Long Island City. 

Second District—Flushing. 

Third District—Far Rockaway. 

Borough of Richmond. 

City Magistrates—John Croak, Nathaniel Marsh. 

First District—New Brighton, Staten Island. 

Second District—Stapleton, Staten Island. 

Secretary to the Board, Thomas D. Osborn, West Eighth 
Street, Coney Island. 


MUNICIPAL COURTS. 

Borough of Manhattan. 

First District—Third, Fifth and Eighth Wards, and all 
that part of the first Ward lying West of Broadway and 
Whitehall Street, including Governor’s Island, Bedloe’s 
Island, Ellis Island and the Oyster Islands. New Court 
House, No. 128 Prince Street, corner of Wooster Street. 

Daniel E. Finn, Justice. Frank L. Bacon, Clerk. 

Second District—Second, Fourth, Sixth and Fourteenth 
Wards, and all that portion of the First Ward lying south 
and east of Broadway and Whitehall Street. Court room 
corner of Grand and Centre Streets. 

Herman Bolte, Justice. Francis Mangin, Clerk. 

Court opens daily at 10 A. M., and remains open until 
dally calendar is disposed of and close of the daily business, 
except on Sundays and legal holidays. 

Third District—Ninth and Fifteenth Wards. Court term, 
southwest corner Sixth Avenue and West Tenth Street. 
Court open daily (Sundays and legal holidays excepted) 
from 9 A. M. to 4 P. M. 

Wm. F. Moore, Justice. Daniel Williams, Clerk. 

Fourth District—Tenth and Seventeenth Wards. Court 
room, No. 30 First Street, corner Second Avenue. Court 
opens 9 A. M. daily, and remains open to close of business. 

George F. Roesch, Justice. John E. Lynch, Clerk. 

Fifth District—Seventh. Eleventh and Thirteenth Wards. 
Court room, No. 154 Clinton Street. 

Benjamin Hoffman. Justice. Thomas Fitzpatrick, Clerk. 

Sixth District—Eighteenth and Twenty-first Wards. Court 
room, northwest corner Twenty-third Street and Second 
Avenue. Court opens 9 A. M. daily, and continues open 
to close of business. 

Daniel F. Martin, Justice. Abram Bernard, Clerk. 



NEW YORK CITY AND STATE 


115 


Seventh District—Nineteenth Ward. Court room, No. 151 
East Fifty-seventh Street. Court opens every morning at 
9 o’clock (except Sundays and legal holidays), and con¬ 
tinues open to close of business. 

Herman Joseph, Justice. Patrick McDavitt, Clerk. 

Eighth District—Sixteenth and Twentieth Wards. Court 
Room, northwest corner of Twenty-third Street and Eighth 
Avenue. Court opens at 10 A. M. and continues open to 
close of business. 

Joseph H. Stiner, Justice. Thomas Costigan, Clerk. 

Ninth District—Twelfth Ward, except that portion thereof 
which lies west of the centre line of Lenox or Sixth Avenue, 
and of the Harlem River north of the terminus of Lenox 
Avenue. Court room, No. 170 East 121st Street, south¬ 
east corner of Sylvan Place. Court opens every morning 
at 9 o’clock (except Sundays and legal holidays), and con¬ 
tinues open to close of business. 

Joseph P. Fallon, Justice. William J. Kennedy, Clerk. 

Tenth District—Twenty-second Ward and all that por¬ 
tion of the Twelfth Ward which is bounded on the north 
by the centre line of 110th Street, on the south by the 
centre line of Dighty-sixth Street, on the east by the 
centre line of Sixth Avenue, and on the west by the North 
River. Court room, No. 314 West Fifty-fourth Street. 
Court opens daily (Sundays and legal holidays excepted) 
from 9 A. M. to 4 P. M. 

Thomas E. Murray, Justice. Hugh Grant, Clerk. 

Eleventh District—That portion of the Twelfth Ward 
which lies north of the center line of West 110th Street 
and west of the center line of Lenox or Sixth Avenue, 
and of the Harlem River north of the terminus of Lenox 
or Sixth Avenue. Court room, corner of 126th Street 
and Columbus Avenue. Court opens daily (Sundays and 
legal holidays excepted) from 10 A. M. to 4 P. M. 

Francis J. Worcester, Justice. Heman B. Wilson, Clerk. 


Borough of the Bronx. 

First District—All that part of the Twenty-fourth Ward 
which was annexed to the City and County of New York 
by Chapter 1034 of the Laws of 1895, comprising all of 
the late town of Westchester and part of the towns of 
Eastchester and Pelham, including the villages of Wake¬ 
field and Williamsbridge. Court room, Town Hall, Main 
Street, Westchester village. Court opens daily (Sundays 
and legal holidays excepted) from 9 A. M. to 4 P. M. Trial 
of causes are Tuesday and Friday of each week. 

William W. Penfield, Justice. John N. Stewart, Clerk. 

Second District—Twenty-third and Twenty-fourth Wards. 
Court room, corner of Third Avenue and 158th Street. 
Office hours from 9 A. M. to 4 P. M. Court opens at 10 
A M 

John M. Tierney, Justice. Howard Spear, Clerk. 


Borough of Brooklyn. 

First District— Comprising First, Second, Third, Fourth, 
Fifth, Sixth, Tenth and Twelfth Wards of the Borough 
of Brooklyn. Court House, northwest corner State and 

Court Streets. „ , ,, . 

John J. Walsh, Justice. Edward Moran. Clerk. 

Second District—Seventh, Eighth, Ninth, Eleventh, Twen- 


116 


A POLITICAL PRIMER OF 


tleth, Twenty-first, Twenty-second and Twenty-third Wards. 
Court room located at No. 794 Broadway, Brooklyn. 

Gerard B. Van Wart, Justice. William H. Allen, Clerk. 

Third District—Includes the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, Fif 
teenth, Sixteenth, Seventeenth, Eighteenth and Nineteentn 
Wards. Court House, Nos. 6 and 8 Lee Avenue, Brooklyn. 
Court opens at 10 o’clock. 

William J. Lynch, Justice. John W. Carpenter, Clerk. 

Fourth District—Twenty-fourth, Twenty-fifth, Twenty- 
sixth, Twenty-seventh and Twenty-eighth Wards. Court 
room, No. 14 Howard Avenue. 

Thomas H. Williams, Justice. Herman Gohlinghorst, 
Clerk. 

Fifth District—Twenty-ninth, Thirtieth, Thirty-first and 
Thirty-second Wards. Court room Bath Avenue and Bay 
Twenty-second Street, Bath Beach. 

Cornelius Fergeson, Justice. Jeremiah J. O’Leary, Clerk. 

Borough of Queens. 

First District—First Ward (all of Long Island City, 
formerly composing five wards). Court room, Queens 
County Court House (located temporarily). 

Thomas C. Kadien, Justice. Thomas F. Kennedy, Clerk. 

Second District—Second and Third W T ards, which in¬ 
cludes the territory of the late towns of Newtown and 
Flushing. Court room in Court House of late town of 
Newtown, corner of Broadway and Court Street, Elmhurst, 
New York. P. O. address, Elmhurst, New York. 

William Rasquin, Jr., Justice. Henry Walter, Jr., Clerk. 

Third District—James F. McLaughlin, Justice; George 
W. Damon, Clerk. 

Court House, Town Hall, Jamaica. 

Court held on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 
10 A. M. 

Borough of Richmond. 

First District—First and Third Wards (towns of Castle- 
ton and Northfield). Court room, former Village Hall, 
Lafayette Avenue and Second Street, New Brighton. 

John J. Kenney, Justice. Francis F. Leman. Clerk. 

Court held week days, except Saturday, from 10 A. M. 

Second District—Second, Fourth and Fifth Wards (towns 
of Middleton, Southfield and Westfield). Court room, former 
Edgewater Village Hall, Stapleton. 

George W. Stake, Justice. Peter Tlernan, Clerk. 

Court held each day from 10 A. M., and continues until 
close of business. 


THE CITY RECORD OFFICE, 

and Bureau of Printing, Stationery and Blank Books. 
No. 2 City Hall. Philip Cowen, Supervisor. 


THE BOARD OF ALDERMEN. 

Meetings held in the Aldermanic Chamber, City Hall. 
Charles V. Fornes, President of the Board. 

P. J. Scully, City Clerk. 




NEW YORK CITY AND STATE 117 


THE BOARD OF ALDERMEN AND LOCAL IMPROVE¬ 
MENT BOARDS. 

The number of the district from which the Alderman is 
^elected precedes his name. The letter following: his name 
denotes the party that elected him—Democratic, Fusion, or 
Republican. 

MANHATTAN. 

BOWLING GREEN. 

1. Michael Kennedy, D., 576 Broome St. 

2. Thomas F. Foley, I)., 112 Centre St. 

4. Isaac Marks, D., 235 Madison St. 

BOWERY. 

6. Timothy P. Sullivan, D., 33 7th St. 

8. Max J. Porges, D., 36 Rivington St. 

10. L. W. Harburger, D., 66 2d Ave. 

CORLEAR’S HOOK. 

12. James J. Devlin, D., 2 Mangin St. 

14. John J. Haggerty, D., 649 E. 11th St. 

16. John H. Donohue, D., 398 E. 10th St. 

GREENWICH. 

3. Patrick Higgins, D., 103 Leroy St. 

5. Charles P. Howland, F., 14 W. 9th St. 

7. Charles W. Culkin, D., 21 Bethune St. 

kip’s bay. 

18. James E. Gaffney, D., 337 2d Ave. 

20. AVilliam Whitaker, F„ 312 E. 37th St. 

23. Thomas F. Baldwin, D., 847 2d Ave. 

MURRAY HILL. 

27. Herbert Parsons, F., 112 E. 35th St. 

29. Joseph Oatman, F., 714 7th Ave. 

31. Franklin B. Ware, F., 1285 Madison Ave. 

CHELSEA. 

9. Frank L. Dowling, F., 257 9th Ave. 

11. Reginald S. Doull, D., 345 W. 31st St. 

13. Charles Metzger, D., 353 W. 42d St. 

HUDSON. 

15. Frederick Richter, D., 460 W. 50th St. 

17. John J. Twomey, D., 425 W. 50th St. 

YORKVILLE. 

26. John V. Coggey, D., 225 E. 57th St. 

30. John T. McCall., D., 155 E. 78th St. 

RIVERSIDE. 

19. David M. Holmes, F., 101 W. 81st St. 

21. Armitage Mathews, F., 335 Central Park West. 

22. Samuel H. Jones, F., 68 W. 106th St. 

WASHINGTON HEIGHTS. 

24. John L. Florence, F., 380 W. 125th St. 

25. John C. Klett, F., 560 W. 170th St. 

33. Elias Goodman, F., 201 W. 120th St. 

34. James C. Meyers, F,, 171 W. 126th St. 

36. Thomas F. McCaul, D., 106 E. 116th St. 

HARLEM. 

28. Patrick Chambers, D., 1394 Avenue A. 

32. John A. Schappert, D., 524 E. 89th St. 

35. John J. Dietz, D., 150 E. 97th St. 

37. James Owens, I)., 227 E. 124th St. 


118 


A POLITICAL PRIMER OP 


BRONX. 

MORRISANIA. 

38. John L. Goldwater, P., 2671 3d Ave. 

39. P. Harnischfeger, D., 1358 Washington Ave. 

40. Jacob Leitner, F., 3850 Third Ave. 

41. William D. Peck, F., 182d St. and Sedgwick Ave. 

42. Frederick W. Longfellow, F., Delafield Lane, Riverdale. 

CHESTER. 

43. Frank Gass, D., Avenue B, between 10th and 11th Sts., 

Unionport, Westchester. 

44. John Behmann, F., 62 Park Ave., Williamsbridge. 

BROOKLYN. 

HEIGHTS. 

45. Robert F. Downing, F., 201 Dean St. 

46. James J. Bridges, D., 283 Front St. 

47. Moses J. Wafer, D., 319 Clinton St. 

BEDFORD. 

48. David S. Stewart, R., 407 Lafayette Ave. 

49. Peter Holler, F., 150 Broadway. 

50. John Diemer, F., 36 Hopkins St. 

BAY RIDGE. 

51. Patrick H. Malone. F., 208 26th St. 

52. Frederick Lundy, F., Voorhees Ave., near 23d St. 

RED HOOK. 

53. Francis P. Kenney, D., 402 Union St. 

54. Andrew M. Gillen, D., 560 Clinton St. 

PROSPECT HEIGHTS. 

55. Webster R. Walkley, F„ 578 Washington St. 

56. Noah Tebbetts, F., 157 South Elliott PI. 

57. Ernest A. Seebeck, Jr., F., 366 7th St. 

WILLIAM SBURGH. 

58. William Dickinson, F., 295 Graham Ave. 

59. Patrick S. Keely ,D., 79 Berry St. 

60. Frederick Brenner, D., 336 Cook St. 

FLATBUSH. 

61. William Wentz, F., 274 Bainbridge St. 

62. John Wirth, F., 47 Bainbridge St. 

63. James M. Mclnnes, F., 1387 Pacific St. 

BUSHWICK 

64. Joseph A. Bill, 45 Orient Ave. 

65. Frank Bennett, R., 1362 Bushwick Ave. 

66. Charles A. Alt, F., 282 Wyona St. 

QUEENS. 

NEWTOWN DISTRICT. 

67. Nicholas Nehrbauer, D., 712 9th Ave., Long Island City. 

68. John E. McCarthy, D., Washington Ave., Laurel Hill. 

JAMAICA DISTRICT. 

69. William T. James, F.. 120 Jamaica Ave., Flushing. 

70. Henry Willett, R., Leffert and Stewart Aves., Richmond 

Hill. 

RICHMOND. 

STATEN ISLAND DISTRICT. 

71. Joseph H. Maloy, F., Post and Greenleaf Aves., West 

Brighton. 

72. John D. Gillies, D., New Dorp. 

73. Cornelius A. Shea, F., Amboy Road, Pleasant Plains. 


The League for Political Education 


i 


The League for Political Education 

23 West 44th Street, New York City 

Organized, November, 1894 

The League for Political Education is a non-partisan, non¬ 
sectarian association of men and women in New York City. 

The object of the League is to promote the study of social 
and political science, and to carry on work for civic betterment. 

The League Rooms are open on weekdays, except on legal 
holidays, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.), 
from October isttojune 1st. Telephone, 1777—38th Street. 

MEMBERSHIP 

1. Active Membership: Annual fee, two dollars. 

2 . Sustaining Membership: Annual fee, five dollars. 

3. Contributing Membership: Annual fee, ten dollars. 

4. Life Membership: Fee, one hundred dollars. 

PRIVILEGES OF MEMBERS 

1. Lectures by well-known specialists in Political and Social 

Science, Saturdays, at 11 a.m., from November to April. 

2. Class Lectures on Current Events, Social Questions, Par¬ 

liamentary Law, Political Theory and Practice of the 
Greeks, etc., etc. 

3. Debates, Educational Excursions, Training Class for Social 

Service. 

4. Use of Reading Room and of Political and Social Science 

Library. 



2 


The League for Political Education 


OFFICERS, 1901-1903 

nt, - Mrs. Henry M. Sanders 

- Mrs. George Haven Putnam 

i Prof. Franklin H. Giddings 
1 Mrs. C. A. Runkle 

Miss Adele M. Fields 
- Miss Laura V. Day 

- Mr. Robert Erskine Ely 

EXECUTIVE BOARD 

The Officers, and 
Mrs. Robert Abbe Mrs. Ben Ali Haggin 

Dr. E. R. L. Gould Dr. Mary Putnam-Jacobi 

Mr. John Martin 


ADVISORY BOARD 


Dr. Felix Adler 

Mr. George McAneny 

Mrs. A. A. Anderson 

Miss Helen McDowell 

Mr. William H. Baldwin, Jr. 

Mr. Walter H. Page 

Miss L. A. Bangs 

Rt. Rev. Henry C. Potter 

Mr. Arthur von Briesen 

Mr. James W. Pryor 

Mr. John Graham Brooks 

Mr. James B. Reynolds 

Mr. Edward Cary 

Mr. Jacob A. Riis 

Mr. John Milton Cornell 

Prof. E. R. A. Seligman 

Mr. Ernest Crosby 

Dr. Albert Shaw 

Mrs. Winthrop Cowdin 

Mrs. V. G. Simkhovitch 

Mr. R. Fulton Cutting 

Mr. Charles Stewart Smith 

Mr. Richard Watson Gilder 

Miss Clara B. Spence 

Rev. Dr. Charles Cuthbert Hall 

Rev. Dr. Henry A. Stimson 

Mr. Abram S. Hewitt 

Dr. W. H. Tolman 

Mrs. Francis P. Kinnicutt 

Miss Lillian D. Wald 

Dr. Henry M. Leipziger 

Mr. Everett P. Wheeler 

Mrs. W. J. LeMoyne 

Prof. Woodrow Wilson 

Mr. Hamilton W. Mabie 

Mr. Charles F. Wingate 


Honorary Presidi 
President, 

Vice-Presidents , 

Registrar , 
Treasurer , 

Secretary , 





The League for Political Education 


3 


Men’s Department of the League for 
Political Education 

Organized, February, 1902 

President, Robert Erskine Ely 

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE 

Elliot H. Goodwin, Michael McGrory, 

Secretary National Civil Service Superintendent Berkeley 

Reform Association. Lyceum. 

Samuel Greenbaum James B. Reynolds, 

Judge of the New York Secretary to Mayor Low, 

Supreme Court. Head of the University Settlement. 

AND OTHERS 

OBJECT 

The Men’s Department of the League for Political Education, 
like the League itself, is non-partisan and non-sectarian. Its 
object is to promote good citizenship among men. 

MEMBERSHIP 

Men in New York City, over seventeen years of age, are 
eligible for membership. The annual fee for Active Members is 
two dollars, payable in advance. 

PRIVILEGES OF MEMBERS 

1. Weekly lectures, addresses and discussions by public 
men and by specialists in political and social science. 

2. Class lectures on Current Events. 

3. Class lectures on Civics, including a course on, HOW New 

York City is Governed Under the Revised Charter of 1902; 
and a course on, Things Every American Citizen Should Know. 

The use of Reading Room and Library, open every evening 
except Sunday, from 7.30 to 10 o’clock. 

Further information concerning the Men’s Department may 
be obtained by applying to the Secretary, League for Political 
Education, 23 West 44th Street, New York. 




4 


The League for Political Education 


PUBLICATIONS 


1. From Massachusetts to Turkey. 

By Dr. Mary Putnam-Jacobi. 32 pages. 

Price, 5 cents ; by mail, 6 cents. 

2. The Reform of the Civil Service, and the Spoils System. 

By Josephine Shaw Lowell. 19 pages. 

Price, 5 cents; by mail, 6 cents. 

3. English Lessons on Territorial Expansion. 

By John Martin. 31 pages. 

Price, 5 cents. By mail, 6 cents. 

4. How to Save New York: A Programme of Progress. 

By John Martin. 32 pages. 

Price, 1 o cents; by mail, 12 cents. 

5. New York Political Primer. 



By Adele M. Fielde. 134 pages. 

Price: paper covers, 50 cents; by mail, 55 cents. Cloth 
bound, 75 cents; by mail, 80 cents. 


IN PREPARATION 


6. Year Book of the League for Political Education for 

1901-1902. 

Price, 10 cents; by mail, 12 cents. (Ready about 
May 1st, 1902.) 

7. The Right to Vote in New York. 

By Robert Erskine Ely. 4 pages. 

Price, 1 cent. (Ready about May 15th, 1902). 

8. Non-partisan Organization for Civic Betterment in 

New York. 

A Guide to the Assembly District Work of The League 
for Political Education. (Ready about Nov. 1st, 1902.) 
v 9. Public Franchises in New York City. 

By John Martin. (Ready about November 1st, 1902.) 

The above publications will be sold in quantity at reduced 
rates. For further information, address, 


THE LEAGUE FOR POLITICAL EDUCATION 
23 West 44th Street, New York City. 




Adele A.Fielde 






















v or c 

3INDERY 












